Peeta's POV

The Training Center is haunting. Memories flood my mind as the Peacekeepers drag me through the main double doors and onto the fancy swirling carpet of the lobby.

With a kick in the back, I am forced onto my stomach, sputtering as the wind is knocked out of me. Chin on the carpet, my eyes glance up at the glittering glass elevators, all too similar to the ones back at the hotel.

"Take him downstairs. President Snow wants him in cell number seven." A Peacekeeper speaks through his helmet unlike the others I met earlier this morning.

With the same yank of the arms, I am pulled to my feet. A bustling comes from behind me and the main doors part once more. Despite the Peacekeepers' tight hold on me, I jerk my head around. Katniss is shoved through the doors, staggering forward. I struggle from their harsh grasps to move towards her.

"No, she's-she's not supposed to be here!" I exclaim, panicking as my eyes meet Katniss's as I watch her knees sink to the floor. I look over her dazed figure. Dark drying blood sticks to her forehead and clumped into her left eyebrow. Her hair flows messily over her shoulders. She's still wearing pajamas-my t-shirt and her comfortable pants.

"Get him downstairs." The older Peacekeeper from before barks behind Katniss, pointing two fingers at the elevators.

"Please-please don't hurt her." I cry in desperation as the Peacekeepers push me away, the metal handcuffs digging into my wrists. I watch in horror as they drag Katniss to the right and out of sight from inside the glass elevator doors.

The lift shoots downwards, reaching the large rooms where the training sessions are held. To my surprise, everything has been transformed. The usual equipment is now replaced with columns of racks and odd instruments of metal and plastic. I am curious to look around, but suddenly a white bag is forced over my head. Blinded, I am yanked by the handcuffs away.

Through the bag I sense the bright light and the transfers to darkness as we move. My ears hear the banging of metal and quiet beeping sounds as the Peacekeepers mutter to themselves. Once I hear the tapping of a keypad and crackling voice like that over a microphone.

At last the bag is pulled off, yet I am blinded once more by florescent lighting and bright white washed walls. I crouch to the floor and the handcuffs are slid off my bruised wrists and the sound of a cell door clangs shut. My eyes open in slits as I peer about.

A rectangular room spread with simple white tile covers the floor and walls. Metal bars surround me and a tiny white cot lays at the floor of the cell. I stare down at my feet to see a small drain embedded between the white tile.

I swallow, sitting back against the cell door. My first thought if of Katniss. Whipping my head around, I look out through the bars. Identical to the others, my cell is set between long rows of others. Everything remains is quiet and empty.

Where is she? They have to have taken her back to the hotel. She didn't do anything wrong.

I sit there for a few minutes before the noises resume again at the end of the hall. Another figure is marched along the cells, wearing a white bag over their head just like I was. I wonder if it's Katniss, I pray that it's not.

A young woman with flowing auburn hair and bright eyes is thrown into the cell in front of me. She collapses on the floor of her cell, eyeslids slightly drooping. The men who dragged her here depart quickly.

Not her.

I meet my gaze with her and carefully reach my hand out through the bars.

"Hey, who are you?" I ask her.

She slowly props herself up with one elbow. Her eyes open wider, her face slightly confused.

"W-why are you here?" She wonders, ignoring my question.

"Because I..." I let my hand fall.

"I committed treason." I conclude. She must have too, otherwise why would she be here? This must be where they keep prisoners now. In the Training Center. I guess it's a good way to use your resources if the games are postponed because of the rebellion.

"Why are you here?" I echo back her question, looking her over. I can tell by the fatigue and malnourishment that she's been down here for a while.

Her eyebrows furrow, as if she's trying to remember. When the silence grows I realize that she is having a difficult time.

"I... Finnick..." I catch her mumble.

Finnick?

"You know Finnick? How do you... you're..." It hits me, "you're Annie." I breathe.

Her eyes glance up at her name, she comes back to reality.

"Yes," she nods.

"I'm Peeta," I respond. We'd might as well get to know each other if I'm going to be down here for who knows how long.

Annie frowns.

"No... you can't..." She whispers.

"I'm sorry?"

"You can't... you can't be down here." She says, her face contorted with fear.

"Johanna said..."

"Johanna?" I straighten. Annie knows her, too?

I don't have time to say anything more before we have another visitor. The third prisoner has come to join us. My stomach drops to the floor when the figure is shoved through my cell door and the bag is pulled away, revealing the shocked face of Katniss.

"No, no, why are you here?" I ask her, panic rising within me. The Peacekeepers rip the handcuffs off of her, chain the door, and march down the tile floors.

"No, wait, come back! She's not supposed to be here!" I yell at them. They ignore me, their footsteps fading.

I stare into Katniss's Seam gray eyes. My heart begins to pound.

"I didn't plan for you to be here. You weren't supposed to get arrested, I-I-"

"What do you mean? Peeta, what plan?" She asks in frustration, her face a mix of confusion and fear.

"It's-it's complicated... God!" I yell suddenly, slamming a fist against the bars. They ring against each other and I startle Annie across the hall, who jerks at the sound.

Katniss's eyes fill with fear, she carefully places her hand on my arm.

"Peeta, what's wrong with you? I... I don't understand why you are acting this way." She says, trying to find the right words. A difficult thing for her. I am filled with guilt realizing how little she knows right now and how confused she must be.

"I met with Snow-he wanted to talk. He, um, he-he wanted me to get you pregnant. So-so to take the next step. I refused-for you. I knew you would never want to do it. And the thought of you going through that killed me. Even if you did agree to it, I knew it would be wrong to say yes. I thought I would just be able to take the punishment-without you getting involved. But-but now we're here and..." my voice cracks, I clench my fingers into hard fists as I feel my nails dig into my skin.

Her arms finding their way around me and she pulls me close to her in silence. I find her waist and hold her close. Words aren't spoken. I know she's trying to figure out what to say. It doesn't matter if she never does. This is enough.

"It's all my fault." I tell her, a lump forming in my throat. I swallow, forcing back tears of frustration and anger.

"Shh..." She replies, holding me closer.

After our long embrace, I make us part so I can take a look at her head.

"You okay?" I ask her quietly, brushing my thumb across the dried blood. It's a concussion for sure.

She nods.

I remember Annie. Feeling slightly embarrassed, yet I don't know why, look over at her.

"Katniss, this is Annie. Finnick's, his..." I try to find the right word. Annie peers through the bars, her face in the usual confused look.

"Annie?" Katniss says, glancing from me to her.

"Why is she-"

"I don't know. She's um... she's trying to figure that out too, right?" I slightly smile at Annie, who nods.

"Peeta." She says strangely, reciting my name.

"Yes, I'm Peeta. This is Katniss." I introduce Katniss, who's eyebrow slightly raises. She recollects herself and clears her throat.

"Hi Annie." She says kindly.

Annie's lips upturn, almost forming a smile. Scooting away from the door of her cell, she leans back against the white tiled wall.

Katniss watches her curiously for a moment, but then turns to me.

"Peeta... I saw Snow." She tells me. From the look on her face I can tell that he was not happy.

"Oh," I say, my stomach knotted within me.

"We've both been sentenced for treason... I don't know what they'll do." She whispers. Her eyes stare blankly at the drain between us, eyes slowly welling up with tears.

Oh no, her family. Thirteen.

"Katniss..." it's not right for me to hold her, especially after what I have done. But I do.

I've ruined the chance for her family's survival, yet somehow my arms wrap around her and we end up on the small cot in the corner as Katniss's silent tears soak my shirt.

I am bewildered that she didn't push me away. She should have slapped me across the face and remain mute during the rest of our time here. Yet, her hands grip me as if I'm the only anchor holding her down to the world. I have destroyed our chance to live in safety. I have put Thirteen in jeopardy. What will happen next is surely to be the worst.