A/N: So sorry for the long delay! I was really busy at the beginning of this semester and was having a bit of writer's block with everything going on. More chapters coming your way! Enjoy.

Chapter 4 – Luke

The door to my bedroom creaked open, instantly putting my senses on high alert. Soft footsteps made their way closer, treading carefully on the hardwood floor. The moonlight filtered through my window, barely illuminating a small, dark figure moving toward the bed. Had someone figured out what I was doing? I jumped upward, pinning the intruder against the wall.

"Ow!" Juliet's surprised voice wheezed out, pushing off the arm I held against her chest.

I stood back, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I couldn't help but feel irritated that she had managed to sneak up on me like that. "Sorry."

I couldn't make out her eyes in the darkness, but I could tell by her silence that she understood my reaction. Ever since the arena, it was like all my senses were magnified and on high-alert at all times. I don't think I've managed to sleep through one night fully without waking up at the slightest sound of movement, my muscles prepared to run at any minute.

"I – I had a nightmare and I thought…" She cleared her throat. "I can't take any sleeping pills. All they do is trap me in my own mind for longer."

I wished I could tell her that the nightmares would go away, but mine were still as vivid as ever.

"You can stay here." I shuffled back toward the bed, drowsiness kicking in. The adrenaline that pumped through me fled my body as soon as I realized I was safe and I couldn't hide my yawn.

The bed shifted slightly as she laid down beside me, staring blankly up at the ceiling. My eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness, and with the moonlight shining directly onto her face, I could easily see the dark bags under her eyes.

"I'm sorry I woke you." She turned on her side, her face going dark again as she turned away from the light. I could feel rather than see her gaze locked onto mine, and I suddenly was very aware of the face that I was only in my boxers. I coughed awkwardly, flipping onto my back and crossing my arms over my chest.

"It's fine." I murmured, squeezing my eyes shut. I would never admit it to her, but it was comforting knowing that I was no longer alone in battling the nightmares that plagued me after the arena. It wasn't something I would ever admit to my parents, and it was definitely not something I would ever talk about with Barrick. Juliet's breathing eventually got slower as she drifted off into sleep, and it wasn't much longer before I followed.

I felt the bed shift as someone sunk down onto the mattress beside me. The moon light filtered through the window, barely illuminating Juliet's figure. I kept still as she curled up against my side, keeping my breathing even.

The month of June was almost over. A warm breeze blew through the slightly open window, causing the curtains to flutter and cast a long shadow across the bed. I was sweating slightly, but it wasn't because of the weather. This was the third week in a row that Juliet had shown up in my room, give or take a few days. It really did help with the nightmares during the night while I was sleeping, but unfortunately not the nightmare I had to face while awake. I stayed as still as possible, and after Juliet's breathing finally slowed, I quietly slipped my body out from under the covers.

I got dressed quickly, checking my watch to make sure I had enough time. It was just past three in the morning, leaving me a little less than two hours to complete my job. I shuffled down the stairs, making sure to skip the steps that creaked the most. The last thing I needed was Juliet to wake up and wonder where I went. I opened the small closet at the base of the stairs, reaching past the hanging coats to grab the item they were hiding.

I flexed my gloved fingers across the sleek body of the crossbow, ignoring the pang in my chest as I noticed how comfortably it fit in my hand. There was nothing I could do about it at this point; I had to do this. For my family, for Juliet.

The envelope I received earlier in the week contained only a small piece of paper that was now tucked tightly into my back pocket. My fingers itched to rip it into shreds, but I had already committed the address to memory. Strapping the crossbow across my body, I left through my backdoor and set off into a jog.

The journey from the Victors' Village in the fields back to town was usually beautiful and calming. Instead, like every night that I set out on a job, it was dark, menacing, and foreboding.

The dark shapes of the grain silos gradually become closer until I was standing under their shadow, hiding from the moonlight. After spending the past two years in the spotlight, with every move I made scrutinized by the Capitol and Snow, being completely hidden by the dark was an odd feeling.

My heart beat faster as I reached the edge of town. My body ached to turn down the street to my left where I knew my parents and brother were sound asleep. Instead, I forced myself to turn right, the address of my destination on repeat in my head. I followed the shadows until I reached a small white house with the correct numbers on the front.

I let myself breathe for a moment, calming my heart rate. Compartmentalizing my feelings had become almost second nature, and it didn't take long to mentally shut away any sort of emotion.

My legs moved automatically, carrying me to the back door of the house as I slipped into soldier mode. The doorknob twisted easily in my grip; I didn't even need to use the lock pick I had tucked into my pocket. I pushed the door open slowly, wincing as the slight squeak seemed amplified in the quiet night. The bottom floor was barren – only small, empty looking kitchen and a small chair next to the fire place.

I crept up the stairs. The only two rooms at the top were a tiny bathroom and what I assumed was a bedroom at the end of the hall. I didn't realize I was holding my breath until it rushed out of me in relief when I realized what it meant – there were no children in this house.

My hands gripped tighter to my crossbow as I brought it out in front of me. The bedroom door was slightly ajar, leaving me enough room to peek inside. Closest to the door sat an old rocking chair next to a large dresser. A pristine looking Peace Keeper uniform hung on the wall beside the bed, a large gun propped up underneath it.

I stepped into the room, unflinching as the floorboards creaked under my weight. The man lying on the bed sat up, blinking his eyes in surprise as I loomed in the doorway.

I raised the crossbow steadily, and before he could reach his gun, I pulled the trigger.

By the time I returned home, the sky was a pale yellow as the sun began to rise over the fields. I pulled a few eggs out of the fridge, not even bothering to get back in bed. It wasn't long before Juliet came down the steps, her eyes droopy from sleep.

"You're up early." She noted, covering her mouth as she yawned.

"So are you." I raised an eyebrow, placing a plate on the table in front of her as she sat down. She smiled gratefully, taking a bite and chewing slowly.

"Nightmares." Her voice sounded resigned. Normally, I would have felt guilty for leaving her to sleep on her own, but I didn't feel much of anything at the moment. I nodded in understanding sitting down across from her.

Juliet pushed the plate away after a few bites, a sour look on her face. "The Reapings are in a few weeks. I think it's making them worse."

"What was it this time?" I questioned, leaning back against the chair as I studied her expression. She kept her eyes trained to the table, but I could tell she was anxious by the way she twisted her hair between her fingers.

"The usual. It's the mutts, mostly. Sometimes Layla, sometimes Moe, sometimes even…" She trailed off as she looked up at me, clamping her mouth shut. "What about you?"

It was my turn to look away from her steady gaze. "I'm fine. No nightmares."

It wasn't exactly a lie – I hadn't had a nightmare recently. But I hadn't really been sleeping either.

Her eyes narrowed. "This works both ways, Luke. I can't help you if you don't tell me anything."

"I said I'm fine, Juliet." My voice came out harsher than I intended, but it was enough to break her stare.

"You've never even told me about your Games." She persisted, carrying her plate up to the sink.

"I'm not sure what else to say, Juliet. You watched them on the TV, didn't you?" I responded dryly, not in the mood for a heart to heart.

She frowned, her expression darkening. "You claim to understand how I'm feeling, but you never even told me how you were feeling."

I rolled my eyes. We had this argument plenty of times before, when I had returned home from my Victory Tour. Juliet had asked me continuously about the Games, but the wound was just too fresh. Now, that wound had scabbed over, and I really didn't feel like picking at it again.

I stayed quiet, biting my tongue. I wasn't in the mood to get into an argument with Juliet, especially not when things had been good between us for the past month. The kitchen became a lot brighter as the sun rose high enough to suddenly filter through the windows. She blinked as her eyes adjusted, sighing as she slipped into her sneakers that were sitting by the front door.

"I'm taking Kit to the forest today. If you decide to snap out of your shitty mood, you're welcome to join us."

The door shut harshly behind her with a little more force than necessary.

I breathed a sigh of relief, thankful to have a moment alone to collect my thoughts. As if on cue, the phone hanging on the wall began to ring aggressively. There was really only ever one person who ever called the Victors' Village.

"Hello?" My numb hands picked up the receiver, already anticipating the voice on the other end.

"Good morning, Luke. I take it you have good news to share?" President Snow's gravelly voice sounded smug. My grip on the phone tightened, but I shoving my emotion back behind that mental door in my brain. I imagined locking it and throwing away the key, not wanting to ever open it back up.

"It's done," I responded flatly, "Everything is taken care of."

The President made a satisfied noise of approval. "We'll be in touch, Luke."

I stayed silent as he paused, itching to slam the phone back into its receiver.

"Send my regards to Juliet and your family." The line clicked as he disconnected. What would have been a nice sentiment only came out as a threat from Snow's mouth. I hung up the phone and retreated to the stairs, hoping a cold shower would help clear the mess of thoughts in my head.