Hello again! I've gotten a request to continue, so I'm going to continue writing this story! Enjoy guys!

Also, to answer Kristy LeeKL's review: I will do a time skip if/when they do the act because I'm not good at writing scenes like that and I know some of you are not comfortable reading those scenes! (Also because this is a T rated fanfiction.) :)


Peeta POV:

"Katniss!" Peeta grabbed her gently by the back of the head before she could hit her head, regardless of the fact that it would've landed on the soft cushions of the couch. She had fainted, most likely due to shock. He set her head down carefully on the couch.

"She alright?" Haymitch was suddenly beside him, putting his hand up to Katniss' forehead. "She doesn't seem warm or injured.."

"She was probably in shock, Haymitch." Effie said from the other side of the room. She seemed to be looking for something in her purse. "Poor thing..."

Peeta sighed and stroked the side of her head. "We should let her wake up on her own, she needs the rest." Just then, the elevator rang, signaling someone had gotten of at their floor. He looked around at the others in the group, and shrugged. "I'll go see who it is."

"No, Peeta, let me!" Effie said as she hurried over the door, with Peeta right behind her. Her heels clacked on the ground as she walked over to the elevator, where a young female Avox stood, holding a platter. The platter had a folded piece of paper on it and on the piece of paper in elegant loopy handwriting read: Ms. Everdeen and Mr. Mellark. Effie snatched the letter off the platter and said to the Avox: "Thank you, you may leave now."

The Avox then stepped behind her, back into the elevator and reached over to press the button. Both Effie and Peeta watched the elevator descend before Peeta spoke: "Can I see it? It's got my name on it."

Effie handed it to him. "It's probably from President Snow."

"Let's take it back into the living room." He turned on his heel and headed back into the living room, where Haymitch and Cinna were waiting expectantly, next to an unconscious Katniss. They both looked at him expectantly, Haymitch raising his eyebrows at him. "An Avox dropped off a letter for Katniss and I. It says-"

"Wait for me!" Effie called from behind him. She walked around the couch and sat down next to Katniss. "Okay, now read it."

He rolled his eyes at her and read the letter aloud to the group: "Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, I understand that this a very busy time for you, what with your wedding to plan and "unborn child". But I hope that you will find time to join me at the Presidential Palace to discuss a few things in the next 24 hours, since you go back to District Twelve tomorrow. Whenever you're ready, someone will be downstairs to escort you two here. Sincerely, President Snow." Peeta grimaced, not failing to notice the quotation marks around unborn child. This wasn't good. President Snow definitely knew Peeta had been lying.

Voicing Peeta's thoughts, Haymitch said: "This is not good. He knows that Peeta was lying." He sighed. "We need to wake Katniss up, now. It's not the best idea to keep the President waiting, especially now."


Katniss POV:

Katniss awoke to gentle hands shaking her. As she opened her eyes, she heard Peeta murmuring. "Katniss, time to wake up.. President Snow wants to see us."

That really woke Katniss up. "President Snow wants to see us? When?"

"Now."

"Now?" She couldn't imagine what President Snow would have to say to them that required them at the President Palace right now. Well, that was before she remembered the events that had just occurred minutes ago. She gave out a little gasp, causing Peeta to furrow his eyebrows at her in concern, but before he could say anything, she said: "Let's go, then. President Snow doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Not even bothering to put more suitable clothes on or fixing her hair, Katniss got into the elevator with Peeta right behind her. They were silent the entire elevator ride down to the bottom floor of the Training Center. As soon as elevator doors opened, Katniss darted out, Peeta scrambling to keep up with her.

"Katniss, slow down." Peeta grabbed her wrist. "We don't have to rush."

"Peeta, if he wants to meet with us, then he knows we were lying." Katniss turned to look at him. "The longer we keep him waiting, the less likely he'll be willing to negotiate with us."

"Negotiate? You think he wants to negotiate with us?" Peeta raised his eyebrows at her. "President Snow isn't the type to negotiate, you know that."

"Yes, but if I can get him to spare my family, get him to spare Prim without forcing us to have a child?" Katniss knew that it was unlikely to happen, but she still allowed herself the tiniest bit of hope. "I have to try. We have to try."

Peeta just frowned at her. He looked like he wanted to argue, but he didn't say anything as his eyes slid away from her face and became fixed at something just over her left shoulder. Turning around to see what he was looking at, Katniss realized that it was not a thing, but an Avox that he was looking at. An Avox that was coming right towards them.

"What is it?" Katniss said, quite harshly to the Avox.

"It's probably just our escort to the Palace." Peeta said from behind her, rubbing small circles on her wrist with his thumb. "Calm down, Katniss."

Katniss relaxed at Peeta's soothing touch, but only a little. She gestured for the Avox to lead the way and after she was a few steps ahead, Katniss took Peeta's hand and followed the Avox out of the Training Center.


It was a short walk to the President Palace from the Training Center, since they were both in the center of the Capitol. The President Palace was a huge, elegant building that was painted white and gold. The Avox led them inside, guiding them through the endless corridors of the building. Their feet tread silently on the plush red carpets and Katniss stared bitterly at the carefully-crafted detailing that decorated the walls. Finally, they stopped at a door and gestured for Katniss and Peeta to head inside.

Peeta stepped in front of her, pushing open the door. He then walked inside, with Katniss following behind him, grateful that she wasn't the one who President Snow saw first. She didn't want to have to stare into those icy blue eyes, didn't want to have to feel his angry gaze boring into her skin.

Upon first entering, she noticed the room was large and that most of the space was being occupied by a grand mahogany dining table with matching mahogany chairs lining the sides and ends. President Snow sat at the end chair on the far side of the room, talking to a young girl with blonde hair. Peeta and Katniss walked farther into the room, both President Snow and the girl turned to look at them. They both had the same icy blue eyes. It was definitely unnerving to see two people with same eyes.

"Ah! Mr. Mellark, Ms. Everdeen!" President Snow greeted them. "I wasn't expecting to see you so soon."

"Well, we didn't want to keep you waiting, sir." Peeta said, flashing one of his handsome smiles at Snow.

President Snow smiled back. "I applaud your punctuality." He gestured to the seats at his left side. "Come, sit down."

They both made their way down the left side of the room, side by side. Katniss watched as President Snow whispered in the girl's ear, who then got up and left the room, leaving them alone with President Snow. Peeta took the seat directly next to President Snow and Katniss sat next to him.

"Have you already had dinner?" President Snow inquired. "I believe we have some leftover roast."

Katniss scoffed at that, cutting of Peeta's response. "Skip the niceties, Snow. What do you want?" She said sharply, causing Peeta to glare at her and frown.

Snow's whole demeanor changed. His smile turned into a frown and his posture turned hostile. "Very well, Ms. Everdeen. I'll get right to the point, since that's what you want." He looked at Peeta. "You are a terrible liar, Mr. Mellark. I could see right through you. I would've just continued on with the Games, but then I had an idea." His gaze turned back to Katniss. "You see, Ms. Everdeen, you have a certain disregard for the rules. I must say, I'm not a huge fan of people like you."

"Yeah, you like it when you control everyone, Snow." She replied angrily.

"Do not interrupt me!" He practically yelled back. They stared at each other for a few moments and Katniss was sure that she was blazing with just as much fury as he was right now. Peeta just stared at the two of them, seemingly unsure of what to say. He didn't have to say anything, however, because President Snow decided to speak again. "Now, as I was saying... I had an idea. Well, more of a question, really. How far would you go for your family, Ms. Everdeen? How far would Mr. Mellark go for you? Would you rather submit to me or watch your entire family suffer?" He paused, looking at her for an answer. When she didn't, he looked at Peeta. "Would you rather watch Ms. Everdeen suffer because of her family's suffering?" Peeta shook his head. Snow smiled at that and she wished Peeta wouldn't have done anything. "You have three weeks before I send a team of doctors to district twelve. They better find an embryo in Katniss' womb. If not, those you love will suffer. I promise you that."

He gestured for them to leave, which Katniss was grateful for. She stood up and grabbed Peeta, still seated, roughly by the arm and pulled him out of his seat. She dragged him towards the door, away from President Snow. Away from what would be the hardest choice of their lives.


This chapter wasn't particularly long either, but I think this is a good place to leave off for now. I hope you guys enjoyed this new chapter! I'll try to upload the next chapter before I start school in a few days, but I have a summer essay I'm supposed to be basically done with already that I haven't really started yet. Bye! :)