Disclaimer: This fic is rated "M" for language and sexual content. I do not own any of the characters of The Hunger Games (although I wish I did). All other ideas and creative liberties are my own.

It takes twenty-six days. Twenty-six long, exhausting days to cross that blasted desert of snow.

What doesn't take long is the realization that my brilliant plan of taking the most discrete route around the snow is useless. Four days are wasted traveling due south in hopes of skirting along the treeline towards the west. No such luck. We faced two options: waste more time in hopes that the desert would eventually let up, or say to hell with the plan and chart a route due west, straight into the endless sea of white.

Katniss makes the decision for us, grumbling under her breath about "taking too long" before deliberately veering off track and out of the safety of the trees. With no choice but to follow, I manage to convince her to spare a few minutes to consult the HOLO and revise the plan.

Based on my initial calculations, we should be able to cross the 150-mile distance in just over two weeks, give or take a day or two if conditions prove favorable or, well, not in our favor. The latter proves true on more than one occasion, thanks to a few days when the snow is so thick, it forces us to stay put in one place for days until we can see more than a foot in front of us.

The nights are the worst when the wind is violent and relentless. Without the steady motion of our muscles to keep our limbs from freezing, we sleep huddled together, teeth chattering as we rely on my suit and sleeping bag to keep in the precious heat. Not that sleeping with Katniss in my arms would ever be considered a hardship, but lately, she's been restless. Muttering and startling herself awake throughout the night.

She says it's nothing, but the dark shadows beneath her eyes say otherwise. But I know better than to push her. If there's something she wants to tell me, she will. When she's ready.

Thankfully, there's been a bit of a reprieve over the past week when the terrain began to change. With each passing day, the snow lets up a little bit more. There's less of a bite in the bone-chilling wind which has a way of finding even the smallest of holes between the seams of my pants. Not even the massive fur from Haymitch helps. Despite my shuddering, I refuse to take back my jacket which Katniss has offered up numerous times. I have to admit, huddled up beneath it with the hem landing well past her hide-clad thighs, she looks pretty damn cute.

Snowmelt trickles from the mountains, meaning we no longer have to rely on melting snow ourselves to fill the canteen. It's one less thing to worry about, but by all means, not the last.

About an hour ago, we stumbled across a grouping of rocks and thick, thorny bushes that Katniss said would provide us with enough shelter from the wind and curious creatures. The perfect spot to set up camp. It couldn't have happened at a better time either, both of us dead on our feet as the sun slipped lower and lower towards the horizon.

Off in the distance, not more than a day's journey away, the mountains taper off to rolling hills and what looks to be a flat sea of brown. Those mounds are our goal for tomorrow, but until then, we both need a good night's sleep.

I dig away at the dirt for a hole to house our evening fire, watching Katniss from the corner of my eye as she checks over her selection of arrows, testing the tips with the pad of her thumb.

Not a single complaint has passed her lips since the day we left the cave, but it's obvious the journey has taken its toll. Not only on her spirits but her body too. I don't think I'm imagining it, but her face looks thinner, her cheekbones a little more prominent.

"Don't go too far," I warn, catching hold of her hand as she turns to leave.

She glances down at my fingers curled around hers and frowns. "Have you forgotten? This is my world. I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, well, uncharted territory though."

Her features relax and she pacifies me with a gentle nod. She squeezes my hand and although I'm hesitant to let her out of my sight, I don't want to argue. After brushing a quick kiss on the back of her hand, she stalks into the shadows, away from the fading daylight.

So maybe I'm being a little paranoid, but can she really blame me? Katniss insists on clearing the area before we settle in each night. I'm well aware this is her planet, but since leaving the cave, we've come across a few creatures that even she's never seen before.

And just like every other night, I push aside my worries and go on autopilot, surveying our campsite and updating our inventory of diminishing supplies. The wind has died down considerably and I have a feeling we might be able to forgo my heavy fur for the night, so instead, I stretch it out over the flat spot I've cleared of rocks and pebbles for our bed.

Twenty minutes later, Katniss is back—thankfully in one piece—with an ugly looking creature in tow. She holds it up by the tail, grinning from ear to ear and allowing me a better look at the thing. Oh, it's ugly all right, a big rodent looking thing with a fuzz of mottled gray fur and two wicked-looking teeth protruding over its lower lip. All appearances aside, the thing looks to be well fed…on what, I'd rather not know.

"Can we eat him?" I ask.

"I am not sure…" She trails off, inspecting the animal and poking it with the tip of her hunting blade. "We do not have these back home, but it looks like a creature I used to hunt. We will need to cook him first, though."

I'm already on it, gathering dried leaves and sticks and tossing them into a pile. I haven't tasted fresh meat in weeks. The last of the protein bars were exhausted two nights ago, along with the dried berries and nuts that Katniss packed for the journey. We've been able to supplement our daily rations with foraged greens and roots, but it's not the sustenance my grumbling belly craves.

"Here," Katniss continues, pulling a handful of orange roots from her pack.

"Are they safe to eat?" Before I can process her actions, she nips the tip of a root and crunches away. "What the hell are you doing?!" Jumping to my feet, I rush towards her. "Spit that out now!"

But she's already swallowing before I reach her. I watch in horror as she just stands there, looking at me like I'm the crazy one.

"Tastes sweet," she mumbles.

"It could kill you!" I knock the rest of the roots from her hand and pull her against me, my eyes frantically searching our supplies. We need water. And the first-aid kit. I'll shove my whole hand down her throat if that's what it takes to get her to throw up.

"Calm yourself. It is safe."

I pull away, searching her face for any signs of sweat or blotchiness. Her pupils appear normal, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. "How do you know it's safe?"

"When I found him," she pauses to lift up the dead animal, "he was eating them."

I'm only mildly placated by the information. So maybe it won't kill her, but it could sure make her sick. Frowning, I look her straight in the eye. "Don't do that again, you hear me?" She's frowning now too, but she must catch the fear in my voice because her face softens.

Pressing my forehead against hers, I try to get a handle on my racing pulse. "I can't lose you," I eventually whisper.

The dead rodent drops to the ground and she wraps her arms around me, burying her face in my shirt. I can feel the press of her lips against my chest, her fingers stroking back and forth across my shoulder blades. We stay like that in each other's arms until some of my anger fades. I know our food choices are limited, but still, I can't believe she'd take such a risk. After everything we've been through, I'd hope she'd—

"I am sorry," she murmurs. "I did not mean to frighten you." She presses a kiss to the spot over my heart, then tilts her head back to lock her eyes with mine. "You will not lose me."

Releasing a heavy breath, I shut my eyes. Okay, so maybe I went a little overboard. Maybe the nights of shitty sleep and the gnawing emptiness in my belly have finally caught up with me. Or maybe I'm just tired of running. Running away from what, I'm not sure of anymore. But now is not the time to think about it, we need a fire and food in our stomachs in order to get my head back on straight.

"I'm sorry for overreacting." I pull away, wanting to say more, but instead press a kiss to her lips. When I finally open my eyes, she rewards me with a smile and then nods. And just like that, all is forgiven.

"We should eat," Katniss says, echoing my earlier thoughts.

Surprisingly, I've become a whiz with fires, coaxing a flame out of the few damp pieces of wood I was able to find. By the time I have a decent blaze going, Katniss has the carcass skinned and skewered on one of her arrows and the orange roots wrapped in leaves. The leaves go into the coals while the meat roasts over her makeshift spit. All the while, neither of us says a word, both waiting until the juices stop trickling from our dinner indicating the meat is done.

Katniss packs half away, leaving us with two roots and a leg each to fill our aching bellies. I have to admit, the meat is better than I expected and surprisingly juicy. A little charred from cooking it longer than usual (just to be safe) but a hell of a lot more appetizing than a protein bar. As I swallow down my last bite, it's then that I realize darkness has fallen.

With the distraction of hunger satiated, we silently stare into the flames, a testament to just how exhausted we both are. Neither of us has enough energy to do more than just sit and get lost in our own thoughts, but then, Katniss breaks the silence.

"Have you seen more lights?"

I shake my head.

The night we saw the lights in the sky, a part of me didn't want to believe it. Didn't want to accept the truth that my people had come for me. But what we saw was too big and moved too slow to be one of the exploratory hovercrafts. No, it was a single Panem-class cruiser, which could only mean one thing: something up there has gone terribly wrong.

But what? Mutiny? An epidemic? Catastrophic failure? Only something to that extent would cause the fleet to separate.

We'd watched the lights until they disappeared over the treetops, far off into the distance. Where they landed, I'm not exactly sure, but it wasn't anywhere close to where my POD crashed. Of that I'm sure. Neither of us was able to sleep for hours afterward, too busy waiting to see if more lights would appear.

None did.

Every night since, we've kept an eye out on the night sky. If any more ships were to come, it'd be under the cover of darkness. I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary yet, so either they arrived while we were asleep or there's truth to that gut feeling of mine that won't let up.

"Will more come?" Katniss asks when I'm quiet for far too long.

As much as I want to reassure her that everything will be alright, that we'll get through this alive and well and that we'll only need to stay away for a few months—I'm not going to lie to her.

When she first asked me that question weeks ago, I hesitated to answer because I was unsure. She thinks there's something I'm not telling her. I can tell by the way she stares at me a little too long after telling her the truth. I can't blame her though, it's got to be eating her up inside not knowing what's going on back at her village or if her herd is okay.

A part of me wonders if we made the right decision, leaving when we did. If we'd stayed a bit longer—hidden while we waited to see how things panned out—maybe we wouldn't have had to run. The Panem cruiser we saw in the sky, did it actually land? Did the crew survive the landing? Were they even alive when it landed? Thinking about all the unanswered questions makes my head hurt. But voicing my thoughts won't help either of us, not now.

I toss another stick onto the fire, then settle back down next to Katniss. And like every time before, I answer her question truthfully. "I don't know if more will come."

But this time, there no uncertainty in her eyes when she stares back at me. Instead, she cups my cheek and offers me a tired smile. "It is time for sleep."

I can't argue with that. Katniss makes quick work of taming the fire, the glow of the embers giving off enough light for me to roll out the sleeping bag and pack-up the rest of our supplies. I'd learned early on from Katniss that it was best to have our gear ready to go in case we had to make a speedy retreat during the night. Although we've been lucky so far, there's no sense in letting our guard down, especially now that we're out of the snow desert.

After she settles in next to me, the side of her face nestled to my chest, I stroke my fingers through her hair, gently tracing the pointed tips of her ears and over where her antlers once were. The spots are a little rough, like a hardened callus. She says they'll eventually grow back, but I never thought to ask when.

With her body pressed tight to mine, I'm reminded of how much weight she's lost. Now that we're finally out of the snow, the hunting should improve and with it, our diet. My wandering fingers travel lower, tracing along her neck and down her spine before finding a tense spot between her shoulders. I take a few moments to rub the muscles, her quiet sigh of appreciation making me smile. Then my hand skims across her waist before finally settling over her stomach. She shudders, so I pull her in tighter.

This is the warmest night we've had in weeks, so she can't be cold. I hope she's not coming down with something, that's the last thing we need. I test her forehead with my palm. It's a bit clammy and during dinner, I noticed her cheeks were flushed, but it's nothing to get all concerned about. Just to be sure, I give her arm a gentle squeeze. "Are you okay?"

The corner of her mouth twitches, but she doesn't bother to open her eyes when she answers, "I will be. Now sleep."

The kiss she presses to my lips is brief but by no means tender. In fact, it causes something deep inside me to stir and my pulse to jump. If it weren't for the exhaustion in her voice, I'd be tempted to claim her lips again and ride out the urge that's now coursing through my veins.

With survival at the forefront of both our minds, intimacy hasn't exactly been a priority. Besides the quick kisses I manage to steal throughout the day and lingering touches at night, we haven't been together in over two weeks. Not that I'm complaining really, I probably couldn't have gotten it up anyway for fear of it turning into an icicle…which is a complete and utter lie. Every morning I've woken up stiff, and I'm not talking about my back thanks to the unforgiving ground. It doesn't help that Katniss has a habit of tangling her legs with mine like tree roots throughout the night, the warm juncture of her thighs pressed right up against my…fuck.

Just thinking about it sends blood rushing straight from one head to the other, and I shift my hips in a feeble attempt to trap my semi between my thighs. Katniss has already drifted off, an incoherent mumble slipping beneath her breath as her face burrows deeper into her pillow, or rather, my arm.

"Tomorrow," I whisper, more of an assurance to myself rather than to Katniss. "We'll rest longer after tomorrow, I promise."

Before I can take my next breath, she's deep in sleep. And thankfully, it doesn't take much longer for me to follow.

Bleary-eyed, I awake to the rays of sunlight peeking over the horizon. When I reach out next to me, my hand meets nothing but air and I jolt up with a start. "Katniss?" No answer. I scramble to my feet and circle our campsite. The fire is nothing more than a grey heap of ash but what gets my heart racing is that Katniss's bow is still where she left it next to the sleeping bag.

"Katniss?" I hiss into the bushes, hoping she's within hearing distance.

Something rustles deeper into the leaves and my fingers curl into fists, hoping it's just another one of those ugly creatures we roasted last night. Inching forward, I strain my ears as silence falls over the campsite again.

"Here," comes a quiet voice to my left.

Sweet relief rushes through me as I barrel my way through the tangle of thorny bushes. Only a few steps in I find Katniss with her back to me, hand propped up against a tree trunk and bent at the waist, shoulders hunched.

"Are you okay?" I ask, approaching her slowly. I've seen enough people space sick to know when someone's been puking their guts out.

Her hand shoots up and I halt. "Stay there. You do not need to see this."

Really? She's seen me at my absolute worst, both physically and emotionally, and she's worried about what? A little throw-up? I take another step closer and she finally turns, her face paler than normal. Was it something she ate? Maybe that raw orange root thing from yesterday? Regardless, it looks like she's over the worst of it if she's emptied her stomach.

"Come on, let's get you some water. It'll make you feel better." Thankfully she nods and takes my hand as I lead her back to the campsite. "Was it the food from last night?"

With a tight smile, she shakes her head and reaches straight for the canteen. The first few sips she uses to gargle and swish out her mouth, but then she drains the rest with gasping gulps.

I try not to hover too much, but I keep an eye on her as we pack up. She won't eat anything but at least she drinks some more water boiled with crushed herbs from one of her pouches. I wish I had something from my first aid kit to offer her, but after a few minutes she's already looking better, the color returning to her cheeks and her movements less sluggish.

Our goal for today is once again visible in the daylight, the scattering of hills like goosebumps across the horizon. If we keep a steady pace, we should be there by mid-day. I don't want to push Katniss too hard, not after this morning, but the trees further off in the distance promise more coverage than our current location. From there we'll take a day or two to recoup, then figure out what our plan is.

Katniss takes the lead and I shoulder both our packs, allowing her to set our pace. As we make our way across the barren plain, the sun makes its way across the sky. Without a canopy of trees or the constant cloud cover that comes with snow, the sun is intense. Out in the open, there's nowhere to hide, but for some reason, I get the sense we're alone. We'd be able to spot any predator—creature or otherwise—a mile away.

As we get closer and closer to our destination, an eerie feeling prickles the base of my neck. There's something about the mounds. Although they're covered in dirt and patchy grass, they look out of place and…unnatural. It's the only way to describe them really. But it's their consistent shape that irks me, each of them about the same height and length but haphazardly spaced.

Turning to Katniss, she looks just as uneasy as me with one hand hovering over the blade handle at her hip. "Is this some sort of burial ground?" I ask.

"I have not seen this before. Our dead return to the Great Spirit through fire."

To get a better look, I take a hesitant step closer to one of the mounds. "A different herd perhaps?"

"I do not know."

But then something catches my eye, a glint of light against metal. That eerie feeling from before has settled deep in my gut, clenching my insides and threatening to empty my stomach.

"What…what was that?" Katniss asks, which means she saw it too. But she may have well whispered the words thanks to the blood roaring in my ears.

Clearing my throat, our packs slip off my shoulders and thump to the ground. "It looks like a…" My words trail off, evaporating to dust in my throat at the absurdity of it. But I have to be sure. It doesn't take much effort to rip a section of clumpy grass off the top, revealing a familiar smooth surface underneath. "But that's impossible."

"Peeta?" Katniss shuffles closer, the warmth of her touch at my elbow. "What is it?"

"They're life PODs."

Although not one of my favorite teachers growing up, I've come to realize the words of so-called wisdom from Professor Heavensbee have had a strange way of sticking with me. "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." Well, the impossible has happened and the truth? It's somewhere inside one of these life PODs.

It's also times like these I'm grateful for actually paying attention during the mandatory quarterly safety drills but by the time we finally get one open, its late afternoon. Thanks to the buildup of dirt and grime over who knows how many years, the hatch on almost every POD we try is glued shut or the access panel non-responsive. I'm unsure if its luck or a coincidence that all thirteen PODs are empty.

From the outside, they look similar enough to the ones on Panem-12. The overall shape is the same, just a few slight modifications here and there. I had to explain to Katniss that these are not the like POD I arrived in, but rather a smaller version used for emergency situations only. The discussion as to what constituted as an emergency when out in space left her hesitant and uncertain of my determination to discover the truth. Thankfully, the hatch panels look familiar, but just in case, there are a few good sized rocks lying about if I need a Plan B.

To my relief, the panel on the last POD comes to life the moment I hover my palm over the screen, the blinking light in the corner signifying a vacant status, which we already confirmed. But the light is a blinking yellow, which means something's wrong. Could be a number of things: low oxygen levels in the canisters, a cracked seal, or something with one of the twenty-four life support systems essential for survival. Not that it matters, I'm not looking to sustain life, I just need some answers.

With the fingers of my one hand crossed, I have Katniss watch as I type in the universal access code and can't help but grin when the thing starts to move. The hiss from the capsule depressurizing causes Katniss to stumble back, but I catch her arm and pull her to my side for reassurance.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. It's just a heap of metal that can't hurt you."

"What does that mean?" she asks, pointing at the yellow light.

"Just that it's empty, which we already knew."

Frowning, she wriggles out of my grip and takes another step back. "Where did they go?" The way she looks around as if expecting a group of survivors to magically appear out of thin air makes me chuckle.

"No clue, but that's what I'm hoping to figure out." Grasping the edge for balance, I heft a leg up and over into the life POD but am stopped when Katniss grabs hold of my other leg.

"No! Do not go in there! What if it—?"

"It's fine, I know what I'm doing. If it shuts, I can open it from the inside, see?" To ease her fears, I grab hold of the inside handle and pull the hatch shut, all the while smiling at Katniss through the viewport as it latches into place. The layout inside looks the same, a few upgrades to the main screen and some extra buttons, but nothing I can't figure out. I wave at Katniss for good measure which earns me an eye-roll, but I'm no longer smiling when I try what should be the inner release handle. The thing doesn't move, not even an inch when I starting reaming on it with my fist.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, FUCK! This is not happening right now.

Aware that something's not right, Katniss starts pounding on the viewport, her mouth moving frantically with silent words thanks to the thick glass. My thoughts are racing, trying desperately to recall if there's a secondary release latch, but my mind is coming up blank. The hammering in my chest seems to increase with each passing second and is it me, or does the air suddenly seem thinner? Even from in here that damn blinking yellow light mocks me, you idiot…you idiot…you idiot.

After two of the longest minutes of my life, something suddenly shakes and the sound of gears groaning against their will has me holding in my next breath. The hatch finally starts to rise and the sight of Katniss's tanned fingers reaching through the widening gap has me gasping with relief.

I'm scrambling out of the damn thing the second I know my body will fit through. In that same second, Katniss slams into me, fastening her arms around me with a death grip. "I'm okay," I manage between breaths. "Let's just keep that thing open for now, what do you say?"

My untimely attempt at humor earns me a thump on the back, but at least she's not scared anymore. For now, I'll take her annoyance over the fear.

After catching my breath a few minutes later, I eventually convince Katniss (and myself) to try again. True to my word, I don't touch the hatch as I tinker around on the panel inside the POD. It doesn't take long to find what I'm looking for: the flight history logs, which I'm hoping will give us some answers as to what happened here. But there's only one file. No flight data record, no voice recording, no duplicate files. Just a three minute and thirty-seven-second vid dated…wait, that can't be right.

"What did you find?" I glance over at Katniss who's still trying to make sense of all the lights and buttons inside the life POD.

"It's more what I didn't find that concerns me."

"Then are you finished? This place…it does not feel right."

Frowning, I drag my attention away from the screen to find Katniss hugging her body tight. I've come to learn that when Katniss has a feeling, whether it be natural instinct or something else, I shouldn't ignore it. But maybe she's more on edge than usual thanks to my incident with the hatch. "How so?"

She lifts her bow and motions to the empty sky. "There is no life. No birds. No trees." Bending over, she grabs a handful of dirt and it crumbles between her fingers. "The ground does not lie. There is nothing left here, only ghosts."

Well, she's right about that. Whoever landed in these are long gone. That is, if they were even occupied, to begin with. There's only one way to find out. Pulling up the vid file, I take a deep breath and press play. The screen instantly goes black, but there's something muffled coming over the audio, so I turn up the volume.

As Katniss leans in to get a better look, a light flickers on the screen and a second later we're staring at the hard-set face of a dark-skinned man. He looks to be mid-forties, with close-cropped hair that's graying on the sides and blue eyes.

"Can he see us?" Katniss whispers.

The death grip she's got on my shoulder will probably bruise, but I don't look away from the screen when I answer. "No, he's not here now." I pause the vid. "See? It's like the photos on my info pad, except this captures a moment in the past that you can watch again." Curious, I quickly check to see how many times the vid has been viewed. Huh. Only once.

Looking back over at Katniss, I give her a reassuring nod. "It'll be okay. Let's just see what's on here and then we can leave. I promise." At her curt nod, I press play once again.

"This is Lieutenant Boggs, second-in-command of Panem-13, home base Panem-8. If you are receiving this transmission, odds are it's already too late for me. I was one of the fifty-six survivors of Panem-13, en route from Earth, located in the Milky Way galaxy within the Virgo Supercluster.

"The destruction of our ship was our own doing. Our last resort. We were taken off guard by the virus, a modified strain of Hepatitis, which went undetected by the microbe scanners in the water purification tanks. Once in the system, it was only a matter of days before we could no longer contain the outbreak. It didn't take long though to pinpoint the source: a contaminated shipment of water filtration beds sent directly from the Capital.

"The years of building tension between the Commander and President Snow had reached a pinnacle, but we'll never know exactly what caused them to strike first. My guess? The day of the Capitol's failsafe update when the Commander refused to turn over the new codes. Without them, President Snow found himself at the mercy of the Commander. Not that it mattered, what good was holding the trigger if you were dead?

"With no existing cure, our options were limited. If left to run its course, we'd be a ghost ship in less than a month. If we reached out to the other ships for help, ours would be gone in an instant. No, there was only one way to spare those yet to be infected. Thanks to the cloaking technology we'd been working on in secret, four hundred and fifty-one of our life PODs were able to jettison undetected. But after the Commander gave the order to blow Panem-13, only fifty-six life PODs escaped the debris. Fifty-six. Out of four hundred and fifty-one.

"What happened next is only speculation. Unsure of how long we'd have to drift before reaching safety, the Commander ordered the remaining crew into hypersleep. We set a course for the nearest habitable planet and then after that, everything went dark.

"When I finally woke up, my best guess was that I'd been asleep for over eighteen years. There was a corruption of the systems internal date sequence, so who knows how long we were really out. Of the fifty-six, only thirteen survived entry. At the time, I was deemed one of the lucky ones. Yeah right. Like some cosmic joke, the thirteen sole survivors of Panem-13 survived one hell, only to walk straight into another."

He pauses, eyes raised upward as he releases a heavy sigh.

In the background of the screen, I spot a picture of Lieutenant Boggs with a young boy perched on his hip. There's something about the photo, or rather of the boy. I don't dwell on it though because his next words snap me back to attention.

"She killed them. All of them. Would have killed the children too if I hadn't made her see their purpose."

His second pause goes on longer than the first, but then he's blinking away the glazed look from his eyes.

"But that wasn't going to happen on my watch. You hear me, Jackson? Don't trust them."

This time his eyes shut and he shakes his head. By the looks of it, his breathing seems off. A little heavy, like he's struggling to catch his breath.

"I swear…on every blasted star out there…that you'll live a long…and happy life…because you deserve it."

When Boggs closes his eyes again and the light surrounding him dims, it's obvious something is wrong. I glance over at Katniss who looks distressed.

"What is happening to him?" she whispers, unable to look away from the screen.

Wherever he was recording his transmission, he was losing oxygen. The longer I study the screen, the more apparent it becomes to where he is. He's in a life POD. Or rather, trapped in one. This one? But why? The irony of the situation makes it that much worse, but then his haunting words filter back through my mind: she killed them all. She. The Commander of Panen-13. Alma Coin.

I still can't fathom why Commander Coin would kill her only remaining crew, especially her second-in-command. What did she hope to accomplish? And who the hell is Jackson? Was this transmission meant for him?

Boggs is humming now, an oddly familiar tune that turns into a chorus of mumbled words that don't make any sense. I switch off the screen because I know what happens next. With the surplus of carbon dioxide building up in the life POD, it won't be long before he goes unconscious. It'll do neither of us any good watching an already dead man die again.

Katniss slips her hand into mine, grounding me to the here and now as my mind tries to make sense of the past. She squeezes my fingers and I finally turn, my attention focusing briefly on her. Her face is pale like she's seen her own ghosts in the vid. "I do not understand. I thought you said all your people on that ship were killed. What does this mean?"

What does this mean? That's a damn good question.

By the time we make it to the trees, I have no memory of the trek or how much time passed. My mind is still whirling away, trying to make sense of our discovery and how in the hell something like this was even possible.

Too tired to stand, I lay down and watch with unfocused eyes as Katniss forages the space around us, pulling blades of sharp grass that grows in high tufts and weaving them together into a mat. I assume it's to sleep on, considering the moisture from the sodden ground has already started to seep through my shirt and to my back. The coolness is welcomed against my flushed skin and I shut my eyes, suddenly exhausted.

One question plays over and over again in my head: What does this mean?

By the time I come to, the blue sky overhead has changed to a mix of pink and orange. I roll onto my side and rub the sleep from my eyes, but when the world comes back into focus, I'm startled by the transformation that surrounds me.

There's a small fire already going but behind it, a small hut made from grass mats sits between two trees. It's open on one side but with three walls and a roof. Another mat makes up the floor which is covered almost completely by the sleeping bag, and our packs are stowed neatly away off to one side.

Well, it looks like someone's been busy. But it's the lack of that certain someone that has me scrambling to my feet. "Katniss?" I call out, but not too loud.

I'm met with silence as I quickly search the vicinity of the hut. Seeing as how it's almost dinner time, she's probably out hunting or foraging. I push down the worry that's gripping my heart and decide to make myself useful. I start with collecting more sticks for the fire then move on to the hut where I rummage through our supplies in search of the canteen.

The damn thing almost goes tumbling to the floor when a shadow appears on the back wall and I spin around so fast that I too almost land on my ass.

"You're awake," she says, eyeing me up and down. "Are you hungry?"

Frowning, I follow her back out to the fire and take a quick swig of water to swish the sleep out of my mouth. "How long was I out for?"

"A few hours." When she sets down her bow, I notice the two birds hanging off her belt. They look like those grousling things and I'm hoping they taste just as good. My stomach still hasn't caught up to the fact that food is once again abundant, but the current grumblings are a reminder that I skipped lunch thanks to our afternoon discovery.

Gesturing to our dinner, I settle myself down by the fire. "I take it the hunting is much better here?"

"Yes." Katniss busies herself with her haul and just like every other night, I watch her as she goes through the motions of preparing our meal.

However, tonight she's quiet. More so than usual. But there's no doubt the events from today have something to do with it. I know I can't stop replaying the image and words of Lieutenant Boggs over and over again in my head. And now knowing the truth as to what happened to Panem-13 has me thinking more and more about my people. That spark they were looking for to start a rebellion? Forget it, that vid is already a raging fire. If the information was made public, President Snow's days would be limited and the other ships wouldn't think twice about cutting off supplies to the Capitol. Without the rest of us, they'd never survive.

If only there was a way I could get a message back up to my ship. Maybe see if I could get a signal out or better yet, re-establish communications using the life POD. Of course! Why didn't I think of that before? I'm no info tech expert, that's for sure, but I know enough to be able to send out that vid so that anyone with a screen will see it and then—

"Peeta." Katniss's voice stops me short of my next thought. "There is something you must know."

My back stiffens at her tone and the canteen freezes just inches away before hitting my lips again. You'd think with all the surprises we've faced that nothing would faze me, but still, it's a struggle to hide the panic in my voice. "What is it?"

Setting down the arrowhead that she's been sharpening, she blows out a long breath. When her eyes meet mine, I swear the forest around us suddenly goes silent. "There is life inside me."

I stare at her for a second, all my previous thoughts of rebellion and communicating with my people lost in an instant. It takes another few seconds before her words finally penetrate my thick skull. A lump has somehow formed in my throat and I desperately try to swallow it down. "A…a life?" I can't help my gaze from dropping to the hand placed protectively over her midsection.

A baby? I'm a complete idiot. The signs have been plain as day, but for some reason, my mind never went there. Maybe it's because the need to survive has been constantly weighing at the forefront of my mind. Or maybe it's because I never thought reproduction was a real possibility for us. Sure we're physically compatible…really compatible, but…to the point of becoming a father?

Before landing on Dist-12, I always knew I'd want a family someday. A couple kids to carry on the Mellark blood and help make life aboard the ship worthwhile. But here? Now? Shit, we don't even have a safe place to call home! I don't know the first thing about dealing with a pregnancy, let alone an interspecies one. I cringe at how much I've been pushing her these past few days and my short temper. I've only been making things worse and I hate myself for it.

"You are not pleased."

"What?" I meet her wary gaze and shake my head. "It's not that, I'm just…surprised." I get to my feet and close the short distance between us, the sudden need to touch her overwhelming. Taking her hands in mine, I give her a reassuring smile. "I thought it was exhaustion and lack of decent food that was making you sick. So it was the baby?"

"Is that what humans call their young?"

"At this stage, yes, but I guess it's a fawn, right?"

"I do not know, is it a fawn or a bae-bee?"

"Does it really matter?" Placing a hand on her belly, I give it a little rub. "Hey there, little one."

Katniss smiles back, her fingers grazing my cheek. "I like that better." She places her hand over mine as we both stare at the barely-there bump. "My little one and my mate. What more do I need?"

God, this woman. Pressing my forehead against her skin, I hold on tight to her hips. Here I am stressing over what more we'll need, what more I can do, how much more either of us can take before everything comes crashing down around us. And all she needs is us. Nothing more. It's something I'll try my hardest to provide for her, but if there's one thing I've learned since the day of the reaping, it's that the future is unpredictable.

"Katniss." I pull back and stare up at her beautiful face. "I want you to promise me something."

"What?"

"If anything happens to me, promise me that you will return to the village." Her eyes narrow and I can already sense the lashing she's going to give me for allowing my thoughts to go down this path. "You know the way and with the HOLO, you can make it back on your own."

"Why are you saying this? Are you abandoning us?"

Again with us. The word elates and yet terrifies me. "I'd never leave you or our little one. At least not willingly."

When my meaning dawns on her, she scowls. "You are not going to die here."

"Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but who knows what the future holds. I don't want you to forget how different our circumstances are. If you die, and I live, there's no life for me here. You're my whole world." My eyes drift down to her abdomen. "Both of you."

"Stop this, what you are saying is foolish. You are not going to die."

I shake my head. "It's different for you. I'm not saying it wouldn't be hard, but you won't have to raise our child alone. He or she deserves a family and—"

"Enough!" Katniss pushes me away and mutters a few choice words she's picked up from me before stomping off into the hut.

Instincts tell me to give her some space and a moment to calm down, but this is too important. I need her to see reason. Releasing a heavy sigh, I follow her. She stands as still as a statue with her back to me, but by the rise and fall of her shoulders, I know she's struggling to keep her temper.

"Katniss," I say, stepping closer to run my hands down her arms. When she doesn't move, I spin her around to face me. She won't look at my face, lips tight together in a firm line. I lift her chin so she has to look at me. Forcing her to make eye contact. "Promise me."

Her glassy eyes make my chest tighten, and so I wrap her in my arms and pull her in close. Her entire body is vibrating, muscles too rigid to release the tension.

"You're going to make a great mother, you know," I whisper against her temple, pulling her even closer.

Eventually, she sinks into me fully and her arms snake around my waist, hands fisting into my shirt. "And you a great father," she says against my chest. "I no longer wish to speak of this. All will be well. You will see."

As we ready for bed that evening, it seems we both have come to an understanding. Life is unpredictable and the different worlds we thought we once knew have proven otherwise. The only way we're getting through this in one piece is together. Starting tomorrow, our primary focus shifts to finding our baby a home. Wherever that may be.

Thanks to my mind and body being pushed to the limit today, it doesn't take long for either of us to fall asleep. And dream of a world where our child is safe.

Author's Note: Life has a way of derailing your best intentions at the most inopportune times, but I found my way back and fingers crossed this momentum I've found will follow me through to the end of this story. As you can see, this isn't the final chapter. It was getting too long so I decided to split things up. As of now, I'm planning on the next chapter being the last one along with an epilogue, so I hope you're looking forward to it!

Thank you to titaniasfics for being an extra set of eyes on this chapter and a big thank you to those of you who didn't give up on me and stuck with me through my writer's block. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint and as always, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Here are some thoughts from writing this chapter:

- I hope you noticed that this chapter is riddled with canon elements, which I had a lot of fun time weaving into the story and I hope you enjoyed the spin I put on some of them too! As you may remember from my fun fact from Chapter 5, it was a bit of a hint towards Katniss being pregnant. So yeah, Katniss won't be growing her antlers back until after pregnancy, she's got a little one to grow instead!

- While researching escape pods and hibernation in space, I came across something interesting: NASA is currently working on an actual artificial hibernation technology for the Mars mission, crazy! It'd be similar to therapeutic hypothermia where the body's core temperature is reduced to 32 degrees Celcius which causes an unconscious-like state and slows down your metabolic rate. Instead of one long hibernation period though, people would go through cycles of hibernation and recovery. I tell ya, space and space travel still blows my mind!

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