Thank you for all the incredible support. It makes my day seeing other people enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'd always wondered what would have happened if Katniss was actually forced to come up with her own hobby and not just go off of Cinna.

You'll see what I mean in this chapter!

Don't forget to fav, follow, and review. I'm going to try and upload every Friday, but life might get in the way a bit, so here's hoping...

It's another good week before I bother leaving my house. Haymitch doesn't bother checking up on me. He's most likely drinking himself into oblivion with the new stash of liquor he got from Ripper the other day.

I stay inside everyday. I stay in bed almost all day. I go downstairs to eat something simple. Usually an egg, or some bread. I only shower when not even I can stand how oily and smelly my hair becomes. It's not even that hard to clean up anymore. The shower is easily one of the better things in this house.

Prim would come by a few times. She would usually come by after school. She would tell me all about her school work, her teachers, her friends. She would gush about the newest patients Mom had let her help with. Then I would give her some of the money I'd found stashed away. I assume that's where Haymitch had gotten the coins the other day.

I gave her a new pouch every time. She hesitated at first, but I told her that I had more money that I knew what to do with. That and the fact that I hadn't gone hunting yet added to me wanting to help them in some way.

Gale hadn't talked to me since that day. I can't say it doesn't hurt, but I also can't say that it's unwelcome either. I'd prefer not to listen to him bash who I'm becoming. Who I will become. It's not like it'll do me any good. Whatever happens now, is not up to me. I suppose, I'm going to become some Capitol puppet, and I'll be expected to do so without protest.

I'd given Prim a few extra coins to give to Hazelle. I know that Gale wouldn't want that, but I feel the need to make up for not hunting anymore. Hazelle has three other mouths to feed besides herself and Gale. She hasn't said anything to Prim, and I think she's passed it off as money from washing clothes.

I spend my week laying around wishing I could be rash enough to turn to drinking. The nightmares are getting worse, and I'm getting less and less sleep. I've feel weak, too. I don't think an egg or two a day with some bread is very nourishing, but when I feel a bit especially bad I eat an apple or two.

It isn't until Sunday after a particularly gruesome nightmare, that I wake up to knocking. I look at the clock in my room noticing that it is too early for Prim to be visiting.

They knocked again, and I get out of bed and go downstairs, glad to have finally showered the day before.

I open the door and come face to face with the last person I thought I'd see," Peeta?"

He smiles and then says," Hi, Katniss, can I come in?"

I look at him confused but nod and he walks in with a bag in hand.

"What are you doing here?" I can't help but ask," Shouldn't you be working at the bakery?"

He grins and shakes his head," Today's my day off. It's Sunday and my Dad can usually handle the few customers we get."

"What about your brothers?" I say wondering why they wouldn't be helping.

He looks surprised, he probably didn't realize I knew much about him, but he replies easily enough," My oldest brother Barley is already married to the sweet shop owner's daughter Daffodil and Rye is going to get the Bakery, but Dad really only asks him to help during the holiday weekends. They don't need me."

I nod but then look at him sharply," You still didn't answer my question. Why are you here?"

He looks at me sadly and hesitates before saying," When was the last time you left this house, Katniss?"

I glared at him," That's none of your business!"

"Maybe not," he concedes gently," But that doesn't mean I can't still worry."

"If you just wanted to check up on me," I hiss," Then you can just go, I'm fine!"

He laughs dryly," I'm pretty sure you're not, when was the last time you ate an actual meal?"

"That doesn't matter," I huff and turn to stalk off upstairs.

He catches my arm and I try and get him to let go, but he holds me by the shoulders firmly," It matters to me."

I stop struggling and find nothing but sincerity and kindness and...something else in his eyes.

He smiles at me and then leads me over to the bag he brought and set on a chair," Are you hungry?"

I hesitate, but he adds," If you are, and you don't mind showing me to the kitchen...I can make you something to eat."

I bite my lip and consider it. It's really tempting, and an actual meal would be wonderful...

I nod and say," Come on then."

I lead him to the kitchen that is still sparkling clean despite me not having cleaned anything. He immediately sets to work and gets out a bunch of pots and pans that I didn't even realize I had. He took out some meat, he probably got at the butchers, rummaged through the cabinets for some spices, and some vegetables. He sliced everything up and put it all into a pot.

"That should do it for the soup," he said grinning at me. He moved over to the bag again and brought out some other ingredients before asking," Do you have some flour?"

I look at him confused," I think so, but why?"

He flushes a bit embarrassed," I was going to make you some bread, but I wasn't able to sneak some flour as easily as everything else..."

I gasped," Peeta! You snuck these ingredients from your parents?!"

He shrugged like it wasn't that big of a deal," Not all of them. Some of them, I bought with my own money. I just took a few vegetables, and the yeast and so on..."

I stay silent knowing just how much trouble it really had been for him before pointing to the pantry behind him. He goes inside and comes out with a bag of flour, sugar, salt, and oil. He gets a bowl and mixes the ingredients together. Then he rolls up his sleeves and mixes them thoroughly before beginning to knead them.

I watch as he puts it into a pan and then sets it aside. He then turns and smiles at me," Now they just need to rise for a bit before I can put them in the oven."

I look at him carefully and ask once more," Why are you here, Peeta?"

He looks at me tiredly," Katniss-"

"No, Peeta!" I say already done with trying to see what he wants," I need to know why you're here, why you're doing all of this, and why you're being so damn nice!"

He looks at me like he doesn't know if he should say something and then shakes his head with a rueful smile," We're friends now, right?"

I stop and mentally take a step back," What?"

"You asked me," he says patiently," what I wanted in exchange for the bread from when we were kids. I said I wanted to be friends."

And then I remember, and I feel like a complete idiot," Oh..."

He grins," Yes, oh..."

"But that still doesn't explain all of this," I say gesturing to the entire meals he's preparing.

"Friends don't let other friends starve, Katniss," he says and his voice cracks a little maybe remembering that day in the rain. I hope he is because I know I am.

"Besides," he says on a lighter note," I like doing this. Maybe we could even bring some food over to Haymitch..."

"You want to bring food to Haymitch?" I ask him dryly.

He laughs," Well, yeah, despite his less than charming demeanor...He did bring you back alive, and that's deserving of some thanks, on my part."

I give him a rueful expression," You can do what you want, but I doubt he'll be able to hold anything down right now."

He laughs a little at that," He most likely won't, but this'll still be good for a few days if he changes his mind."

I nod and then he goes on to tell me about his week. He talks of the customers at the bakery, of his brothers who make it a point of teasing him mercilessly, and of his father who obviously loves them all. I don't mention the fact that that he fails to mention his mother.

I don't talk much. I don't tell him about how I'd been contemplating joining Haymitch's constant inebriated state, how I'd resorted to slipping Prim money for food, how the Capitol isn't happy with me, Snow's plans for me, how I don't think I'll be able to hunt again because of all of this, or even my fight with Gale. And he dutifully doesn't mention it or comment on how Prim and my mother aren't living with me.

Once the food is ready he serves me a generous portion, and only sits down to eat with me when I threaten not to eat at all if he doesn't, too. The soup is hearty and filling, and the fresh bread is comforting. The house seems less empty and haunting smelling of bread and food, and with him sitting across from me.

After we finish eating he asks me," Want to go give some to Haymitch now?"

I hesitate wondering if I really want to go over to Haymitch's house and risk his drunk demeanor getting to me, or stay. Then I realize if I stay, I will be staying in this house alone once more and nod instead.

He gets a loaf of bread and pours some soup in a container. Then he sets everything else aside. I help put the bread in the pantry as he put the rest of the soup in a bigger container and places it in my shiny refrigerator. He frowns a bit noticing how empty it is.

I don't comment on it and he just smiles at me kindly and we walk over to Haymitch's.

Peeta stops to knock on the door, but since I'm not really expecting him to answer, I just shake my head and open it and walk in. I walk in only to regret it immediately at the revolting smell. There are bottles everywhere, piles that look suspiciously like vomit, dirty dishes, dirty clothes, and one unconscious drunk passed out on the dinner table, snoring his head off.

I roll my eyes and look at Peeta," You really want to do this?"

He nods confused and then I sigh tiredly and say," Haymitch!"

No reaction and I walk over to him in a huff," Wake up, Haymitch!"

Still no reaction. I frown and then see a pitcher on the table. I grab it and walk over to the sink. I then fill it and look and Peeta," Stay back, he has a knife..."

Before Peeta can stop me I dump the pitcher of water on him and spring out of the way, myself. A guttural animal sound comes from his throat. He jumps up, the chair suddenly shoved aside and knife poised to attack. He says a few choice words in my general direction, and slashes the air before he realizes what he's doing.

"What are you doing?" he says tiredly and more than a little annoyed.

"We brought you some food," I say.

"What?" he says.

"It wasn't my idea," I insist and point at Peeta," It was his."

He turns to look at him sharply and then just turns back to me. "And why am I all wet?"

"You wouldn't wake up," I say. "Look, do you want the food or not?"

He just sighs and grumbles yes. Peeta sets the loaf of bread he brought on the table and holds out his hand to Haymitch.

"Should have just woken me up yourself, boy," says Haymitch, passing over his knife," Maybe then I wouldn't have possibly gotten pneumonia." He pulls off his filthy shirt, revealing an equally disgusting undershirt, and tries to dry himself down.

Peeta just smiles and douses Haymitch's knife in white liquor from a bottle on the floor. He wipes the blade clean on his shirttail and slices the bread.

It's not until he's handed Haymitch the heel that he even talks for the first time. "Aren't you thankful she got you up at all?"

"No," he says," I was pretty content lying in here minding my own business without you or Sweetheart over there prancing on into my house and completely annoying the hell out of me."

"You mean lying in your own filth?" he says back surprisingly sharp.

Haymitch tosses his shirt somewhere into the mess and just shrugs.

I look between them before sighing tiredly," Ignore him, Peeta, what he means to say is thank you, but he's too stubborn to actually say it."

Haymitch just grumbles once more and continues to mutter away. he manages to keep the food down and when he's done all I say is, "Take a bath, Haymitch."

He laughed sharply and then takes a swig from a random bottle. I look at Peeta who nods and says goodbye to Haymitch and follows me out.

A soon as we're out I surprise myself by saying teasingly," So was it worth it?"

He laughs easily and just shakes his head," It could have been better, but I'm not complaining."

"Then you're a much better person than me," I say simply not bother to acknowledge how true that really is.

He just shakes his head and smiles softly," Not possible, Katniss."

I don't reply and instead look forward and notice how late it's getting. I frown sadly trying not to look towards my house apprehensively.

As we get to my doorstep he smiles sadly," I guess I have to go now. I can't be late for dinner."

I nod just as sadly," I'm sorry I took up so much of your day. You probably could have done something else..."

He looks at me for a split moment before shaking his head and merely saying," Don't apologize, Katniss, there's nothing I would've rather been doing than spending the day with you."

He says it so sincerely that I can almost believe him. Almost.

My days pass by, but this time I feel less empty and lost. The Boy With the Bread has saved me once more. I make it a point of getting up each and every morning. It helps keep the nightmares from dragging impossibly long even if I have to run to the shower more often than not. I let the water fall around me and try not to connect the water to Layla.

I head to the Hob and get some food from Greasy Sae. I stay there for a bit and she tries to talk to me and sometimes I can bring myself to actually join her. I sometimes run into Madge when she's running some errands and we catch up. I then head back home after buying random things and brace myself for the stench that Haymitch surrounds himself in, and drop off whatever food I can get.

I only wake him up when I've noticed he hasn't been up for a day or two in a row. As much as I wouldn't appreciate being drenched awake, I refuse to have him leave me in this mess by myself.

And so my days continue. It seems like I might finally be reaching an understanding with my new life when I get a call from Effie. I had been enjoying the chicken Peeta had finished making on his day off. He'd taken to coming over on Sundays and so far had yet to not come. The second the phone rang, I almost jumped out of my skin. No one has a phone here except Haymitch and maybe the Mayor. I'm not expecting a call from either of them so I almost don't answer. Unfortunately the sheer terror of what it could be gets to me that I look at Peeta before getting up stiffly to answer it, " Hello...?"

"Katniss, how are you my dear?" I heard Effie high pitched trill in my ears and had to pull my ear slightly away from the phone.

I do, however, visibly relax and find I can suddenly breathe a little easier," Effie?"

"Katniss, darling, you're all anyone can talk about over here," she goes on," I just called to tell you that I have sent you a list of hobbies you are able to use for your Victory Tour. I've also sent you the things you'll need to get started on any that might catch your eye!"

As if on cue I hear a knock on the door and Peeta raises an eyebrow before he gets up and opens the door. He opens the doors only to have what seems like an army of people walk in with box after box after box of who knows what...

" I don't know what to say, Effie..." I trail off looking at it all," Thank you?"

"You're welcome, dear," she says," Do let me know what you decide upon, I'll be calling to see what I need to send more of! Bye!"

I heard a distinct click telling me that Effie had hung up and I slowly placed the phone back where it was supposed to go and just looked on as the last of the boxes were brought in and the people left just as soon as they arrived.

Peeta walked up next to me and raised a blond eyebrow," Do you know what all of this is?"

I tilted my head and shrugged," Effie just called to tell me that she was sending me some things for my new hobby..."

"Hobby?" he asked," Do you know what you're going to do?"

I shook my head," I honestly don't really care... I typically just want to sit around and do nothing nowadays... before the only hobby I had was going out to h-"

I trail off thinking it best not to continue that sentence but Peeta nods nevertheless and just rolls up his sleeves," Well, we should still see what hobbies you're supposed to choose from, right?"

I sigh but give a reluctant nod and then open box after box after box of supplies. Everything from sewing supplies, cookbooks and tools, a few instruments, to art supplies and more. I honestly had no real interest in any of it, but Peeta seemed to be almost itching to touch the art supplies. So much so that I didn't think twice before handing him the box as it was, filled to the brim with canvases, paints, brushes, and so on. He hesitated in accepting it, but another look at my insistence broke him and he took the box with sheepish delight. I made a mental note to let Effie know that I would be trying art for a bit, in the hope that she would send more things.

I lingered on the instruments, but they only made me remember my father and his love of music and his voice which was so clear and high and beautiful that even the birds stopped to listen.

Peeta noticed this and quietly commented," You could always try singing."

I look at him sharply," I don't sing."

He smiles ruefully and says," Not anymore, but on the first day of school you sang 'The Valley Song'."

I soften a bit in my confusion," I don't remember that."

He laughs sadly," I do...it was a very...memorable day for me. Anyways, I swear I remember that when you sang, even the birds stopped to listen."

I frown at him," They used to do that for my father...they wouldn't do that for me."

"I think they would," he says looking at me solemnly," They weren't the only ones who fell silent when they heard you sing your little heart out."

I shake my head," I don't know if I'd even want to sing for the Capitol...when I did sing, it was with my dad. He's gone now and I'd rather not have him have anything to do with this."

He puts a comforting hand on my shoulder, "Hey, it was just a thought. You don't have to do it if you don't want to."

Little did I know that a thought would be all it would take for my life to be taken right from out of my hands.

It wasn't until another 2 weeks that everything went wrong. I woke up to the sound of knocking at my door. It was a weekday, and unless Haymitch suddenly decided to grace me with his presence, I wasn't expecting anyone.

I head downstairs in my confusion and open the door only to come face to face with none other that our beloved President of Panem.

I was so shocked that I felt my knees buckle a bit, but I catch myself somehow and find my voice enough to croak out," President Snow."

He just smiles in what I assume is supposed to be a friendly way, but really just makes my skin crawl," Miss Everdeen, a pleasure to see you. May I come in?"

He asks what appears to be a genuine question, but is really a command and I stand aside almost numb. My mind is racing and I don't know what to think. Haymitch told me I would have more time before I became the next Finnick Odair...

He seems to sense my terror and pats my shoulder," Don't look so terrified, my dear, I come bearing good news."

"Oh?" I ask robotically.

He nods and continues seating himself on a chair in my overly lavish living room," I think you'll be happy to know that I've found your new hobby?"

I look up at him sharply," My hobby?"

" Yes," he says casually," It has been brought to my attention that you have a supposedly amazing singing voice."

My eyes widen at that, and I don't know what to think. The only way he would know that is if he heard Peeta say that. To do that the house would have to be...

Of course the house is bugged, I think bitterly. They wouldn't allow their precious Victors the opportunity to not have their every word monitored.

His taunting voice brings me out of my thoughts," I would very much be happy to have you perform at the Capitol. "

"For my Victory Tour?" I ask confused.

He laughs," Yes, of course for your Tour, but I was thinking of having you be a regular performer in the Capitol. You know how much they adore you, and I'm sure you would be very happy to go back to the people who care so much about you and want to see you perform.

"And I'm sure singing is much preferred to my original plans for you," he says with what is almost a smirk that he is trying to hide behind a smile and I shiver.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" I ask almost afraid to do so.

He grins and just shakes his head," I think it would be best if we don't lie to one another, don't you?"

I can't do anything but nod and he continues," I want you to prove to everyone watching you, that the girl they saw in your games was for show. I want you to become nothing more than another simple minded young girl who wanted to live and is now enjoying everything she has won. The fame, the fortune, the clothes, and so on.

"In the Dark Days, there were many young stars who put on a show and I want you to be every bit as silly, vapid, and unassuming as them. Prove to everyone that you're not the rebellious girl capable of inspiring a nation to revolt."

I look at him even more confused," But why? What did I do?"

He looks at me for a moment and then shakes his head," Of course you didn't do it on purpose. You don't have it in you... And so I will forgive you for now, but you have lit quite a few sparks in several districts and now you have to put an end to them. I hope you don't disappoint me."

He stands up and looms over me in a way that reminds me of a snake staring it's prey in the eye before it strikes," I will have your escort send you everything you need for this to happen. You will act the part, look the part, and you will appear as though you wouldn't have it any other way... We wouldn't want anything to happen to your dear sister or mother...or even that young man who brought your voice to my attention...I hope for all your sakes, he isn't just being biased... Good day, Miss Everdeen."

"Good day, President Snow."

And with that he is gone and in storms in Haymitch who looks terrified," What happened, Sweetheart?!"

I don't answer immediately and just stare at the closed door behind him. I look up at him still feeling numb and manage to croak out," I don't know."

He runs a hand through his greasy hair and sighs tiredly," You have to give me something, girl, what did the President want?"

I manage to snap out of it as I remember my confusion and say," He wants me to sing."

"Sing?" he asked as confused as I am," Are you sure?"

I nod," He heard something that Peeta said, about my voice, and decided that I needed to use that to calm the districts. He's not happy with me.

"What do I do, Haymitch?" I ask him cursing the tears that burn in the corner of my eyes.

He slumps down on the couch across from me and takes a drink from his flask that he never leaves anywhere without," I guess you're just going to have to sing your little heart out and hope that you're capable of putting on the best damn show of your life."

I lean back and close my eyes," I don't want to sing."

"Well too bad, Sweetheart," he sneers," You're just going to man up and be grateful this isn't something worse, aren't you."

I glare at him tiredly but keep my mouth shut and he continues hesitantly," Can you sing? You don't seem like the type."

I shake my head feeling incredibly tired for no reason at all," I'm not the type anymore. But I used to sing, I think, when my father was alive. He could sing. Even the birds would stop to listen."

He looks at me for a second before shaking his head," Then maybe you'll get lucky and you'll manage to do alright."

"I have no choice," I say and we sit in silence.

The very next day I wake up to the sight of Effie in all her Capitol glory storming into my room in a flurry of bright orange. So bright that it takes my half asleep eyes a minute to adjust," Effie?"

"Good morning, Katniss," she exclaims in a high pitched tone full of unveiled enthusiasm," It's time to get up, dear, we have big big day ahead of us!"

I groan and slowly peel back my blanket and she immediately hands me some slippers I didn't even know I owned," What's going on?"

"We're going to make you a star, Katniss!" she says her eyes going a bit starry eyed, themselves.

I just sigh tiredly, and let her lead me to the bathroom where my prep team surprise me by having already set themselves up inside.

They immediately swarm me and gush.

Flavius exclaims while working on my hair which was thankfully clean," We were so surprised when they told us you would be singing for the Capitol!"

Octavia nods," We were even more surprised when they told us we would be coming to see you in District 12!"

"We've never been," Venia explains and then looks sympathetic," And I'm so sorry for you, Katniss, but I'm sure this district has its charm..."

I stay quiet and let them do my hair, slather my face is makeup, and do my nails. I try and zone out at they fret about the tiny stubs I've managed to bite my nails to, the state I've let my eyebrows get to, and how dry my hair is. I just nod when they let me know where they will be leaving a nail file, the tweezers, and hair products.

"Now, Katniss," Octavia says patiently," They told us that they're going to want you looking presentable at all times."

Falvius nods," Your hair must be presentable, your nails well groomed, and you will have to at least do some kind of natural makeup."

Venia pats my cheek," Just something for your complexion and your eyes."

I nod and try to smile despite hating the very thought of doing any of this myself.

They then hand me an outfit and help me put it on. It's a pair of light green pants, a white blouse with flowy sleeves, and a brown leather jacket that looks like a Capitol version of my old worn one that used to belong to my father. They hand me some black heels that are thankfully not so high that I can't manage the stairs easily enough.

Once downstairs Effie is at the dining room table and she is looking at the mountain of papers stacked on it. I also see a few people with lights and cameras and I hesitate. When she sees me, she beams," Katniss, dear, come come!"

I sit down across from her and remove the leather jacket and place in on the chair behind me. I look at the papers on the table, they're all sheet music. I look at her and say," I can't read these."

She pouts for a bit," You can't?"

I shake my head but she brightens," I'm sure you'll be able to learn. You don't need to learn them all just yet. Just pick 2 or 3 and those will be your debut for your Tour! By then you'll be able to know more."

I nod and then stop and remember Madge. She gave me my pin before my games. I vaguely remember her being able to play piano. She cared enough to bring me a gift before I left, which meant she considered me a friend and we've talked a bit since then. I wonder if I would be able to ask her to help me with all of this. She's most likely more musical than me. I shake my head and resolve to think about it later, and focus on what I need to do now.

Looking through all the music, I notice that the people with the cameras are taking pictures of me and I look at Effie confused.

She just smiles and waves me off," They here to capture your journey as a singer. They want to see it all!"

I fight back a grimace and try and smile like I don't have a care in the world and turn back to the sheets around me. They are all about simple, happy, innocent things. Flowers come up more than once. The birds, the sky, stars, the wind. No fire. Nothing of real meaning or dangerous or assuming. There are some love songs but I shove those aside and try and ignore my slightly flushed cheeks.

I pick up one song in particular and notice it's The Valley Song. Peeta's words echo through my mind and I unconsciously linger on the song long enough for Effie to notice," Have you chosen already?"

I pause and then hesitantly nod," I think so..."

She beams and asks for it, and I hand it to her. She looks it over and then nods," This'll do perfectly. Very pretty and I'm sure it'll sound lovely."

And then she continues," But do make sure you add something more lively. Something fun and bright and catchy."

I fight back a wince but keep looking. We look through more nature songs and then hit the flashier songs that sound vapid and repetitive, but Effie insists I look at. I never really cared to begin with so I chose 2 of those songs and she's happy enough to let me keep them to practice for one week before she comes back for less candid photoshoots, designs, and to arrange recordings.

I'm only too happy to see her go but am left wondering what I'm being dragged into.

So that's that...how do you guys think Katniss will do with her new hobby? Can she pull it off?

Don't forget to follow or favorite in case I don't stick to updating on Fridays, so you don't miss out!