Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Hunger Games belongs to Suzanne Collins and Lionsgate. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Katniss finally thought everything was going to be alright and her children would grow up in a safer world then she and Peeta had, but something changes and a new set of games begins.

CHAPTER 24

EMBERLY POV

When I first come to, I feel as though I have been drugged. My eyes are not focusing and my hearing seems damaged. It takes forever for me to lift my eyelids, and when I do I quickly shut them again because the world seems to bright.

"Good…you're awake," Antu says.

I force my eyes opened again and realize I am still in the same cave I was when I passed out, though my leg doesn't hurt nearly as much, and Antu is sitting next to me.

"She's awake!" Antu calls out.

I hear footsteps drawing near me, a few sets of them, but I don't have the strength to turn my head to see who it is. I don't need to anyway. In a few minutes, Damir, Mason, Cable, Orch, and Kerr are standing over me.

"You're awake," Damir grins down at me, repeating what Antu has been saying.

I nod, groaning a little as I try to sit up.

"Relax…rest a little," Mason gently touches my shoulder, keeping me laying on the ground of the cave.

I realize now, I am not wearing all the layers of clothing I came in with, and my head is on something soft. I also can feel the warmth of a fire somewhere nearby. Apparently, the rest of the alliance has been hard at work while I was asleep.

"What happened?" I ask.

"You've been out for three days…since the lake," Antu tells me.

Suddenly, the memories of the lake fill my mind and I push myself up, looking down at my leg. I remember now what Mason said he had to do and I know my leg is gone.

I look down and see my pants have been stitched back up, but the bottom of my leg is absolutely gone.

"We cut it off," Mason tells me, as if he can read my mind.

I nod, trying not to look at it. Its gone and there is nothing I can do about it. My real concern now is how I will be anything but a burden to the group.

"What else did I miss?" I ask.

"A few tributes died…the girls from Four and Five and the boys from Six and Eight are dead…and the boy from the Capitol, obviously…" Antu says, and she seems to want to tell me something else, but is unsure.

"What?" I push.

"Watts is dead also. She didn't make it off the ice," Antu finally says, after a long moment.

I am silent for a moment. I failed Watts. She died so I could live.

"Who is left then?" I ask, trying t

"Besides the career alliance, just the boy from Four," Antu says.

I nod, laying back down on the ground, trying to absorb all the information being thrown at me.

"Why are we still here? We should have got moving…this cave isn't that safe," I say.

"Safe enough. We were able to get dry, and a fire going," Damir says.

"You should have left me here…we needed more distance between us and the careers...and I am no use with only one leg," I reason. I am sure the careers are out looking for us now, and I have to face the fact that I will not be any use. I probably won't be able to leave the cave really.

"We aren't leaving you," Damir says quickly. "I would never leave you."

I know his words are true. He and I have always had that much of a bond. We made a pact year ago when we were hunting and he feel from a tree and broke his ankle. We would never leave each other behind. I guess this was his way of making up for that time, although dragging him a few feet to the fence of District 12 and sitting in a cave waiting for career tributes to kill you doesn't seem like the same thing to me.

"Are you feeling okay?" Mason asks, breaking the eye contact Damir and I are making.

I nod and then shrug. "As good as I could be I guess."

"We should let you rest," Mason says, glancing at Damir.

"No…you should go…all of you. I am not going to be any help anymore…" I glance down at my leg again.

"We aren't having that conversation right now," Mason says, and looks at Damir.

Damir gives an uneasy nod and I can tell there has been tension between the two while I have been unconscious. I quickly realize I am only adding to it when my hand instantly reaches out for Mason. For some reason, I don't want to be alone right now, and honestly I know I won't win any argument with the two of them on one uneasy side.

"Stay," I ask of Mason, though it is more of a command and he nods. I don't know why I asked him and not Damir. I should have asked Damir; he is my best friend, but part of me seemed to decide, without me really knowing, that Mason is the one I need right now.

"Sure," Mason nods again and glances up at Damir.

I don't look at Damir, I can't, but I can tell, by the way he begrudging trudges off, that he is not happy with my request. I know he doesn't trust Mason, but I don't understand why. So far, he has proven to be a worthy ally.

Silence fills in between Mason and I for a long moment and I quickly release his hand when I realize I am still holding it.

"So…we need so seriously talk…my leg..." I start.

Mason shakes his head. "I told you, we aren't going to talk about that."

"Mason, I am a burden like this. No leg, no walking, you should have just let me die," I tell him how I am feeling because it is true. If they wanted to make it out of these Games alive, they should have left me behind.

"Well, you are the only person who feels that way," Mason says, there is a tone of anger in his voice.

I snort at his comment. "Do you know what we are doing here? Fighting to the death…and I am a burden…I should have died."

"We aren't giving up on you. We can't," Mason tells me and it annoys me. I know why he is saying that to me because he, like everyone else, seems to think I am special because of whom my parents are.

"I'm not special," I tell Mason because I know what he is thinking. "Just because of who my parents are—"

"Its not about that right now. Its about you," Mason tells me. "You're important. We need you, and it doesn't matte who your mom is or who your dad it…you're what the group needs."

I am shocked by the forcefulness in Mason's voice. I don't think anyone has spoken to me like that, and made me feel so needed. I don't know what to say, and the intensity in his eyes makes anything I thought I would say seem useless. I only have on reaction, and it is to grab Mason's hand.

Mason looks startled by my gesture but after a moment, he begins to lean closer to me, and his grey eyes connect with mine.

"I've got an idea!" Cable's voice is loud and it startles Mason and I. We instantly let go of each other and Mason straightens back up, away from me.

I glance over to see Cable holding the big square of metal that Mason's father had sent with the blade to cut my deteriorating leg off.

"I think I know what this is for," Cable is grinning widely at me and I am confused as to why the huge chunk of metal could create such a smile on his face. I can only assume whatever plan he has, he thinks it is brilliant.

KATNISS POV

I lay in bed and look at the ceiling. I have no idea what time it is and I do not care. The room is dark, the curtains are drawn, and I want to stay in the darkness forever, let it swallow me whole.

I climbed into bed when Galen finally fell asleep in my arms after Emberly's leg had been cut off and I haven't climbed out since. I don't have the strength, and I don't want to know the truth and I am certain the truth is that Emberly is dead by now.

How could she be alive? She lost her leg. Even if she made it through that first night, she has no leg, and therefore, is as good as dead in the arena.

Peeta hasn't told me one way or another, but I am sure it is only because he is protecting me. In fact, Peeta hasn't said much at all. He even stopped coming in the bedroom two nights ago, but maybe he just gave up on me. I would give up on me. I'm being an awful wife and an awful mother.

Galen and Peeta both always deserved better then me. Emberly too. All I do is destroy everything around me, and I can't help but feel like Emberly's death is my fault. I gave her my stubborn streak, I gave her life, and I will now have to take responsibility for the fact that she lost that life. I should have fought harder to end all of these Games.

I failed.

I hear the door to the bedroom open but my eyes stay glued to the ceiling. Its probably just Peeta grabbing himself a new shirt, or maybe one of the women who are supposed to tend to me while I am in the capitol. They came in last night and forced me into the bath, but didn't try any harder to get me to leave the room when I climbed right back into bed after.

"Katniss…" Peeta's voice is soft but hearing it still startles me.

My eyes flick from the ceiling to my husband. It's the first time I have really looked at him in three days and I realize he looks terrible. Even in the dark, I can see he hasn't bothered to shave, and he has dark circles under his eyes. I have seen his look on him before. He is under stress. Its only a matter of time before he has an attack if he hasn't already.

Part of me feels guilty for leaving Peeta like this and leaving Galen to deal with it, but there are other's around and I know Galen isn't entirely alone with Peeta. Someone will make sure Peeta doesn't hurt him if he does have an episode.

"Katniss…she's still alive. She's awake," Peeta tells me.

I blink at him, partially because I don't think I can find my voice anymore but partially because I don't think he is real. He can't be, because what he is saying doesn't make any sense. There's no way Emberly can still be alive.

"Katniss, please…get up. Emberly is awake…she is going to make it," Peeta pleads with me.

I say nothing. Instead I just focus my eyes back on the ceiling. It's only a matter of time before she dies, doesn't Peeta understand that?

"Don't do this, Katniss…" Peeta says and I can tell by the volume of his voice and his clumsy walk that he is coming closer to me. "Don't shut me out."

"Emberly is going to die," I manage out when Peeta's head comes into my peripheral range. It's as simple as that. Our daughter is going to die.

"She isn't dead yet," Peeta tells me.

"She will be," I whisper.

"So you just give up on her?" Peeta accuses.

I don't know why, but the accusation in his voice stirs something in me and I shift my eyes so I can glare at him.

"You're giving up on her," Peeta says again. "She isn't even dead yet, and you are planning her funeral. You have been sitting in here for three days and she is still alive."

I can feel my eyes swell with tears and I don't know how to respond to Peeta at this point. I can't be strong when I know she will just be gone in a few days. It's inevitable. There is nothing that can help her now. She can't run and she can't defend herself, and once the other tributes leave her behind, she will starve to death.

"And even if something does happen to her, Katniss…Galen still needs you…I still need you," Peeta's voice is much softer now and I can feel him reach out and take my hand in his.

His touch is enough to send me over the edge and immediately the tears fall down my cheek.

"I can't do this, Peeta…" I tell him. "I can't be a mother…I can't be a wife. I just…I want to die. I want to take Emberly's place…"

"Emberly is still fighting, so don't give up on her…and don't give up on us. Galen is scared and he needs you. I don't have the same way with him that you do. He needs his mom, and I need my wife." Peeta says almost desperately and before I can think of anything to say, his lips are on mine, his hands shaking as they hold my cheeks, and I am certain he is crying as well.

We stay like that for a minute, and then finally he releases me.

I am too shocked to do anything.

Peeta stands. "Please come out. Be with us."

I do not respond and after a moment, I hear the door close again and I know Peeta has left the room, but his pleas do not fall on deaf ears, and I know I am hurting both him and Galen with my actions.