Painted Words, Piercing Paragraphs

Option B

By: KaKaVegeGurl

Author's Note:

Hope you all had good holidays and a safe week!

I been busy. _ What with editing my original story, company over, and family events. I still pumped this baby out. So proud of myself.

Also, I started playing Wow again, a bit more seriously. So that's taken some time too. But TristAn starts up werk now, and that means that I have about an hour or so each day free, which I can dedicate to writing. Sigh, jobs take up so much time. It's exhausting. I just want to write. XP

I've already gotten a few questions and suggestions and such, but please continue to submit them. Either through pm, e-mail, facebook, or twitter. It all werks. You can request scenes that are missed and you wanted to see, or even completely alternated scenes between different characters.

Feel free to follow me on twitter like a few have, or friend me on facebook like most have, or message me on msn like almost all do. Any time of the day, any day of the week. I'm around. XP

Thank you avid readers fer sticking to it, welcomes to all the newbies! Please read on, enjoy and have a nice steaming cup of yaoi!

~KaKaVegeGurl (A)

Question of the Week:

-Current Week: As an ODD pairing, what is one of yer sort of... Guilty pleasures, as far as Hunger Games characters go?

-Week 7: Preppy names? Too many to list. _

-Week 6: School colors? Red, White, Gray.

-Week 5: Noname, to be a hopeless romantic like Peeta? Not so much.

-Week 4: Tall? Yes

-Week 3: His clique in school? First a nobody, then a somebody/Jock.

-Week 2: Gender of the Main Character? Male.

-Week 1: Original story by me, Genre? Future/not Earth, School based story. JUST AS MATURE AS THIS FANFIC. Thorough and broaching topics such as: Divorcing, Drugs, Suicide, Anorexia, Bullies, Status Quo, Rape, Sibling Rivalry, Teen Pregnancy, Popularity and many, many more things. If you have other ideas feel free to suggest.

Review Response:

To the Anonymous reviewers, time fer love...

LittleAsian: "A healthy list of preppy names, if I do say so myself."

Emily (my biggest fan): "Late reviews are a-okay, as long as they happen! /hug What's this about making an account? I'm excited. ^^ and late happy b-day! I, too, watched the HP DH Part 2 trailer. Still confused about the 'it's you and me Tom' line... but bah, whatever. A lot of things were cool to see. The fire looked promising. And Fred... Seeing that scene in the trailer surprised me..."

Vampiregirl23: "thank you so much! /blush and the then/than prey/pray is a problem. But meh, this isn't a book. Lol. Though it definitely feels like it sometimes. Thanks though fer pointing that out. And lengthy review? Lol, you should see some of the others. Or the NOTES! You know who you are! Those notes are long and I love them... That's what she said. Anyways, thanks fer the input, welcome to my story, and welcome to the anonymous reviewers!"

Side Notes:

You and I are paintin' pictures in the sky.

And sometimes we don't say a thing;

Just listen to the crickets sing.

Everything I need is right here by my side.

And I know everything about you

I don't wanna live without you.

Chapter 13 - Fight it Out

When I wake up, it's to wind whistling against my ear and the salty smell of beach.

Katniss's soft, strong fingers comb through my hair as she hums out a song. I can also hear gentle waves of water crashing on the shore and it's more calming to me then this arena has any right to be.

"Are you hungry?" Katniss whispers, stopping in the middle of her humming song.

I open my eyes and smile up at her, "Always."

She produces a sliver of cooked meat and holds it up to my mouth.

I can't help opening wide and taking more then just the food in. Tongue sliding over her fingers, teeth grazing softly against her joints. I suck the tip and let go to chew the meat finally.

Katniss stares and giggles lightly, "I didn't know you were hungry enough to become a cannibal."

"Starving," I say as I swallow, "Water?"

She holds a leaf cup to my mouth as I sit up a bit and drink the water.

"What did you do while I was asleep?"

Katniss, putting down the cup, points to another one of the animals she'd shot before, cooking over a fire.

"I was out in the forest, got a good amount of water and found that little guy," She laughs nervously.

My eyes meet hers and this is when I notice the state that she's in. The serene comfort and gentle mood I've been in is ripped away from me and I stare at her face and hands, observing the wounds she's endured. There are small cuts up her forearms and neck, her hair is down from it's braid and she has a splatter of blood spray across her left cheek.

"Katniss?" I ask: "What happened?"

"I just," Katniss shrugged, "I took down some monkeys that attacked me. I'm okay though, it's nothing big. But they're gone now. And uh, yeah. That's all. It's nothing to worry about, I promise."

I grab her face, look it over again, look down to her stomach, run my hand across it, and then look out to the jungle, "While I was asleep?"

Katniss nods, "I was hungry. I couldn't just sit around and do nothing."

I agree, of course. But she could've died. Could've been taken from me forever. And I wouldn't have even known, wouldn't have been there to save her. I try to keep myself calm, keep this fear from her, so instead I ask: "Have you seen any Tributes?"

She nods and I feel the knot form immediately in my chest.

"Who?"

Katniss points out behind me and I look back to see five people sitting in a circle. I start to panic, struggle to stand and pick up our gear.

"We have to go, now."

She grabs my hand, "No, don't worry, we're allies now."

"Allies?" I stop and stare at her, "With who, exactly?"

"I had no other choice," Katniss says sheepishly, "It happened after the monkeys. Finnick and Mags needed help, and I couldn't hurt them. Then Beetee, Johanna, and Wiress just sort of... happened."

I sigh and sit back, "Alright. We were doing fine on our own though."

Katniss nods, "I know. But this is okay for now."

I don't want to argue, the alliance is nice, I guess. But I won't hesitate to take any of them down to save Katniss.

The rest of the day is event less as we plan together and then go to sleep that night. It's nearly noon the next day that I wake up to Johanna and Finnick chatting idly.

The seven of us are stationed along the beach. Mags tends to Beetee and Katniss runs her fingers through Wiress's hair as the woman sleeps and murmurs words softly, 'Tick, tock'.

Katniss smiles, "Tick, tock," she agrees, "It's time for bed. Tick, tock. Go to sleep." Then she looks straight up at me in surprise, "Tick, tock."

I raise my brow in confusion, "What?"

Wiress has been muttering it for the better part of yesterday, which still evades me as to why. But Katniss looks out at the jungle knowingly as the gears in her head start clicking together.

"It's a clock," she says softly as her eyebrows narrow, "Which means that we have to move."

"Move?"

She stands, "Yes, the island is a clock."

I think about it for a moment as Wiress wakes and starts saying to Katniss, "Tick, tock."

"The lightening," I start, "It's at midnight and noon?"

"Yes," Katniss confirms again, "And at two, that fog thing begins there," she says, pointing out in front of us, "So we have to move somewhere safe now before it starts."

I start packing our things with Finnick as Katniss calms Wiress down.

"Beetee," I say softly, bending down to lift the man up, but he pulls away.

"Wire."

"She's right here," I tell him, "Wiress is fine. She's coming, too."

"Wire," he insists as he pulls his arms from me.

Johanna sighs, "Oh, I know what he wants," she picks up a cylinder from the sand beside the spray of water a few yards away. "This worthless thing. It's some kind of wire or something. That's how he got cut. Running up to the Cornucopia to get this. I don't know what kind of weapon it's suppose to be. I guess you could pull off a piece and use it as a garrote or something. But really, can you imagine Beetee garroting somebody?"

My suspicions at her lie hit home in my stomach and it twists my intestines violently, "Beetee was best known for winning his games with wire," I tell her and I see the recognition fog her eyes for a second, "He set up an electrical trap. There's nothing better, or more effective, then what he grabbed."

"I'd think you'd have figured that out, Johanna," Katniss comments, "considering that you were the one that nicknamed him Volts and all."

Johanna turns to glare at Katniss, "Yeah, that was really stupid of me, wasn't it?"

I reach out and grab Katniss's hand, she turns and her eyes meet mine. I shake my head.

"What now?" Johanna asks in confusion.

Katniss nods to me and we have our arrows strung and aimed in seconds, pointing them both at Johanna; mine to her chest and Katniss's to her head.

Johanna puts her hands up, alarmed. "Woah, hey, what are you two doing?" she asks in surprise, eyes widening, and Finnick rushes to stand between us all.

"Put those down," he says angrily, trying to be the mediator.

I shake my head, "Not a chance. You," I say, motioning to Johanna with a nod, "are up to something. And I want to know what it is."

Finnick looks back to her and I can see from my position that it's an unsure, hesitant expression. It's only more confirmation that I'm not just making things up in my mind. He wouldn't be hesitating if he didn't have something to hide.

"You are too," Katniss says to Finnick then, "You both have been very buddy, buddy since we met up. Whispering to each other."

Johanna sighs, "Oh please, you're so paranoid. Like we honestly have time to plan things in this stupid arena. It's just your hormones talking."

"Yeah, so her hormones are making me paranoid as well?" I ask as I tighten back the string of my bow.

"Well," Johanna smiles at me and crosses her arms over her chest, "yes. You're both being paranoid. Her, because she's pregnant, and you, because you knocked her up."

"The both of you!" Finnick stretches his palms out, one at me and Katniss, the other at Johanna, "Please, everyone calm down. We don't have the time to argue."

Katniss puts her weapons down, "you're right," she says as she slips her fingers around my forearm, "Let's go, Peeta."

I nod and start to back away.

"Oh get a grip!" Johanna stomps forward and slaps Katniss across the face, "We're a team now, so you're staying with–" She's cut off when my fist connects with her jaw and she's thrown down into the sand.

"Peeta!" Finnick grabs his trident and puts the blades of it to my neck.

I grab Katniss to guide her behind me, not just because of the argument between us, but also because we're not the only ones out on the beach anymore.

"Finnick!" Katniss shouts as I pull up my bow and arrow again and let it loose to sail just behind the older man's ear.

Finnick ducks, thinking I've aimed for him, throws his arm out and the blades of his trident stab into a leg that I don't really have. It's obvious he means to warn, because he can see my two legs difference quite plainly though.

"Peeta!" Katniss shouts in fear.

"I'm alright," I say, pulling back and shoving Finnick, "Look behind you, idiot."

Finnick turns as Brutus falls to the ground, dead and I pull the trident up out of my artificial leg.

Johanna, getting up now, grabs one of my daggers from the ground and stabs it into my other leg, which is real; and now I'm not alright.

"Johanna!" Finnick reaches out to stop her but I step away, take Katniss's arm, and run.

"Your leg," she mumbles as we leave the others behind.

Ignoring the stinging pain shooting through my thigh, we start off down the beach and dive into the jungle ahead of us, towards the five o'clock zone.

Katniss is shouting behind me: "Your leg, Peeta. Your leg."

"I know, Katniss," I stop, turn to her and grab her waist, "Up."

She doesn't hesitate to scale the tree I've lifted her against and I join her in the climb. She slows, helps me to get up high enough, and hidden, before finally sitting back against the tree to relax her breathing.

Katniss looks down at my leg and reaches her shaking fingers out towards me, "I'll–"

"No," I push her hands away, "I've got it."

She nods in worry and watches.

I swallow back the bile tugging at the end of my neck and put both of my hands to it, "Okay," I start to tug but the pain flares up and I'm laying back again, "Do it, please." I don't have enough adrenaline coursing through my veins to be able to pull it off this time.

Katniss chuckles nervously and in that second the blade is ripped up from my leg without a second thought.

The scream startles her and she fumbles with the dagger. She catches the hilt of it tight in her shaking fingers and turns to the main body of the tree we're sitting in.

"What are you doing?" I ask weakly as I examine the blood rising up in the hole in my leg. It's filling like a cup until it starts leaking out on each side.

"Water, of course."

I reach forward painfully slowly and grab the spile from her waist, then hand it to her as she pulls the dagger back and then lodges the spile into the tree.

She turns to me, takes one look at the wound and rips the cloth open from my thigh. This hole isn't nearly as bad as the much larger sword in the last arena, of course, but it's still pain and blood. And it's still going to slow me down.

"You make a habit of losing legs, don't you?" Katniss jokes as she begins to clean the mess up, using the cloth as a bandage.

I shrug as she glances at me.

Katniss smiles then and leans in to press her lips to mine, I kiss back and brush my fingers over her cheek.

"What now?" she asks, letting out a heavy breath and looking around through the trees.

"I have no idea," I've lost count of how many Tributes are left and I can't even begin to think of where to go or what to do about Finnick and Johanna. It's obvious they had a plan about Katniss and I, but would they follow after us?

Katniss sits back to catch her breath, hand resting over her stomach.

"How are you?" I ask, staring at her waist, "None of that can have been good for the baby."

"We're just really lucky we didn't... consummate on our little toasting night," She responds and then pulls some food from the parachute-made-into-pack, "Otherwise I'd be a bit bigger and it would be pretty hard to run like that."

"No kidding."

Katniss hands me a chunk of meat and nibbles on some of her own, "I'm glad you didn't kill him though."

"Who?" I ask as I swallow and take the leaf cup she offers.

"Finnick," She says softly, "And I can't believe you hit Johanna. I'm still reeling about that."

I try to hold back the laugh that bursts from my chest but it's impossible, "Yeah," I say, struggling to be quiet, "I can't really either. I don't normally hit girls. It's not right."

Katniss 'mmm's and munches silently.

"But she smacked you."

She stops and stares at me, smiles wide, and nods. "She did."

I reach out then and take her hand up in mine, "I know that you're strong, and I know you're able," I explain softly, "But I don't want you to have to deal with those kinds of things. I know it's very 'male' of me. But you're my wife and you're carrying my baby. And even if you weren't, I still would've decked her."

Katniss lets out a real laugh and squeezes my fingers, "It's not 'male' of you," she says and pulls away, "It's human of you."

"I don't like seeing you hurt."

"Pain is inevitable, Peeta," Katniss says as she sips from her own leaf cup, "But I'm glad you're so chivalrous. I'm overwhelmed by it some times. But I don't think any one can argue that you're not good to me."

"I never really hear much of what you think about those things. Is that weird?"

"Not really."

"No?" I ask.

Katniss nods, "I'm use to depending on myself. Use to taking care of everyone else. But it's a nice change for once, knowing that I have someone behind me, backing me up. It's good to know that I have you here with me. Ignoring the fact that it means one of us is going to die or both... I wouldn't have anyone else here. There's no one I trust more then you, to take care of me and my family."

"Katniss–"

"No Peeta," she says softly, sitting back against the tree, "It goes without saying that... If I die, if you live... You'll take care of them."

"I will."

She smiles, as if expecting nothing less, and then a small parachute lands between us. Katniss takes it in her hands, "Bread."

Not just any bread, but bread from District 4.

Katniss stares at it with a raised brow, "What could this mean?"

I watch as she folds the bread over in her hands, "Well, I saved Finnick. And we let him live. So either it's a 'thank you', or maybe he needs help again?"

"Or an alliance request." Katniss breaks it into two halves and begins to eat hers.

I take mine up and pull it off in pieces, slowly chewing in thought, "I don't want to go back and join them."

She nods in agreement and we eat in silence for a while before she gives me a wicked smile.

"What's that for?" I ask, suspicious.

"How about," she suggests: "Not allying, but watching?"

"Watching?"

She begins to pack our stuff, "Let's follow, and if he needs help, we'll help. But for the most part, we'll keep to ourselves, and stay hidden. Sound good?"

"It sounds ideal."

Ending Notes:

Sorry fer the two week long wait! It happens. I hope you enjoyed and everything looks alright.

The next few chapters will be BIG of course. Don't ferget to ask questions, pm or whatever you wish. I'd like to hear them! See you all next Tuesday!

~KaKaVegeGurl