Katniss and Peeta slept through the night. Nothing disturbing them. It was one of the vary rare moments where that happened. Peeta was the first to wake and just watched her as she slept. Sometimes he wondered how she was able to pick herself up. She had been through way too much. He wondered if she'd ever truly get better. If she could ever settle herself to live the rest of her life. She had been through the arena four times!

Everyone from the 74th Games had gone through two arenas. Everyone who was in the 75th Games had been in three arenas. He and Katniss had been through it four times. Would they ever be able to start to heal from that?

It scared him when Katniss had an episode. Her first episode resulted in her killing herself. And she still hasn't talked about it. This one was a pretty bad one. He just always worried, that it would take too much of a toll on her that she could never find true peace. But he would do everything in his power to make sure she did.

She started to move around a little and her eyes started fluttering open. He kissed her forehead.

"Hi there," he whispered to her.

"You're really here," she whispered. He smiled and nodded his head.

"Yeah I am. I'll be here for a really long time," Peeta told her. She gave him a soft smile. "God, I missed you so much," he leaned and kissed her. He felt her squeeze him.

"I thought I'd never see you again," she whispered into his chest. He pulled back and looked at her.

"Don't you know by now? Nothing will ever keep you from me. I've always fought my way back to you," tears feel down her cheeks and he used the back of his finger to wipe them away.

"I was so scared," she whispered.

"I know you were. I was too," he admitted. He pulled her close again and they stayed like that for a while. Just enjoying the quiet. He pulled back some time later.

"This is the first day that we don't have to pretend. We get to make all the decisions about our relationship. We finally get to start figuring out who we are. Today is that first day," Peeta told her. She sucked in her lip.

"Sounds like a lot of pressure," she admitted.

"But it's not. Just because it's the first day doesn't mean we have to make a decision. It's just the first day that we get to allow ourselves that opportunity. It will just come with time…this is the day I've been waiting for, for a really long time," he rested his forehead against hers.

"So, no big decisions today?" she asked. He chuckled and kissed her forehead.

"No. No big decisions today,"

"No big decisions tomorrow?" she asked. He chuckled again and pulled back to look at her.

"Not unless you want to," he told her. They enjoyed the silence for a little while longer until Prim showed up with breakfast. It was a whirlwind after that with a doctor to check her out. Her mother coming in. Haymitch and Finnick. Finnick took Katniss' hand at one point.

"Hey best friend," Finnick said. She smiled at him. "You know a lot of people have been wanting to see you. They miss you," Finnick told her. She nodded her head and looked down at her hands.

"Just a couple of people today," Katniss told him. Finnick nodded his head.

"I get that. It's still pretty overwhelming. Everyone understands. Who can I bring in?" Finnick asked. Katniss looked down at her hands.

"What about Cinna. I know he's been really wanting to see you," Peeta said. Katniss nodded her head.

"And Johanna. You know she'll throw a fit," Finnick laughed, making Katniss smile.

"And Gale," Peeta said. Katniss looked up at him. "He's been having a hard time to,"

"Yeah, they can all- "she was interrupted by the door slamming open.

"I'm not waiting for a damn invitation. I heard she's awake," Johanna said and looked at her. "Well, well. You are awake," she said and looked at Peeta. She gave him a look.

"What?" he asked.

"Get up," Johanna told him. Peeta smiled and shook his head, and let Johanna get on the bed and sit next to Katniss, while taking a seat on the other side of the bed next to Katniss. He hadn't seen her in almost two months. He didn't want to be too far away from her. He always had that awful feeling that she'd be taken away from him again…or that he would be taken away from her.

He shook his head at those thoughts. He didn't want to think like that anymore. They were together now. This was the first day that it wasn't about putting on a show for the Capitol anymore. Their relationship was theirs! They owned it.

Peeta watched as Katniss started coming out of her fog more and more. She cried when she saw Cinna. He knew she would. They all just gave Katniss and Gale space when he came in. It was nice to see them talking. He knew there was a part of Katniss that needed Gale. Not in a romantic way. In a brother sort of way.

They went through something that he would never understand. The way they grew up. It was just like how Gale would never understand what it was like to go through the Games together…and he would never understand their love for each other.

He only wished that Gale would find someone that he loved more than Katniss…but he knew how hard that would be. He sometimes wondered if Gale was healing from Katniss. Sometimes he could swear that he was starting to get over her. Starting the journey of moving on. He knew that this year was really holding him back from moving on, because he was still there to kiss her, and force himself in between him and Katniss. But he didn't have to do that anymore. He hoped that this was a first day for him to.

Everyone had started filtering out, and Johanna was the last one to leave.

"Well, I get to go back to our compartment. Haymitch got a new one with Chaff. Somehow, they smuggled in booze. Finnick went back to his with Annie and Mags. I'll see you tomorrow," Johanna said and left. Katniss and Peeta looked at each other.

"Did she say ours?" Katniss asked.

"Yeah, she did…I guess we never talked about it. I thought we'd share a compartment. I mean, is that ok with you? I know you moved out of your moms and moved in with Johanna last time," Peeta said.

"Yeah of course I want to be with you," she said. Peeta thought about it for a few minutes.

"I don't know if she means you and her, or all three of us. I can ask her tomorrow," Peeta said.

"Do you want to share a compartment with her?" she asked. Peeta smiled.

"Johanna's fine. Her and I have been through a lot together," Peeta said and kissed her forehead.

"How did you make it through the night? With your nightmares?" Katniss asked him as she laid her head on his chest.

"Victors just get through nightmares together…I had to sleep with her in my arms at night. It was too cold to not. And then…it was just easier with nightmares to have someone right there. It's nowhere near the same as when I'm with you. When it's a normal nightmare, I can just go back to sleep. When it's a bad nightmare…you're the only one that can comfort me. And then a lot of nights I don't have any at all because you're in my arms," Peeta told her. He felt her nod her head.

"I know what you mean. Finnick and I slept in the same bed every night," Katniss said. Haymitch had told him that.

"I'm just glad that you had someone to hold you at night," Peeta said and kissed her head.

"It's odd,"

"What is?"

"The fact that you had Johanna to curl up with, and I had Finnick. And it doesn't bother of phase either of us. Or either of them or Annie. No one thought it was strange," Katniss said. Peeta chuckled.

"It's a Victor thing," he said. She nodded her head again. "I'm glad you're getting discharged tomorrow," he said. She looked up and smiled.

"So am I. I hate this place," she grumbled. He chuckled and kissed her. He couldn't stop kissing her. She turned her body sideways, and he did the same.

"Thank you for giving me a bath last night…and not seeing me naked," she whispered. He tucked some hair behind her ear.

"I wouldn't. Not until you're ready," Peeta told her. She nodded her head. She bit her lip, so he knew she was thinking of something. She reached down and took her leggings off, and pulled the hospital gown off, leaving her in a tank top.

He knew what she wanted. He pulled his shirt off, and then his pants. He leaned in and kissed her, pulling her close to him. God, he waited three months for this. Their last night together was the night before the Reaping. Her lips were so soft. He pulled her tight against him, throwing her leg over his hip. He heard her moan as she squeezed her legs together. God, he wasn't going to last long like this.

Katniss pulled away and stared into his eyes. "What?" he whispered. She pulled back slightly, and he heard her breathing change. She was nervous.

"You can tell me anything Katniss. Don't be afraid," he whispered to her. She took his hand and slowly brought it down to her panties. He expected her to put his hand down over her panties to touch her, but he was utterly shocked that she pushed his hand inside her panties.

He felt her mound and looked up with wide eyes. "I need more," she whispered. He was shocked and he laid his hands down on her. He leaned in and kissed her again, and cupped her, making her moan loudly into his mouth. She was so smooth. He knew why. The Capitol took away all her hair. Why down there was a mystery to him. He was waxed down there as well.

He moved his fingers on the outside of her lips, and already felt the moisture. He took his time to part her lips slowly and touch the spot where her juices were flowing. He brought his fingers up to rub her slippery bundle of nerves, making her gasp and throw her head back.

He leaned down and started kissing her collarbone and brought his fingers up and down.

"God Katniss, you're so wet," he told her.

"I've wanted to be with you again for so long," she told him. He smiled at her. His heart burst with happiness. He loved hearing her say things like this. He smashed his lips to hers and started rubbing her clit. God to actually feel her. It was heaven.

"You feel so good," he whispered between kisses. He wasn't going fast at all. He was taking his time, rubbing her up and down, tempted to push his fingers inside of her. But he felt her already trembling. She wasn't going to last long either.

He didn't waste any more time and brought his fingers up to her clit and started rubbing it faster.

"Peeta," she gasped as she arched high, pushing her breasts up against the tank top. He wanted to kiss them so bad. Flick and his tongue across her nipple, then lean down to suck on it.

She gripped his shoulder and groaned, making him smile.

"Let it go," he whispered, and she groaned loudly as she started to orgasm. He smashed his lips to hers, swallowing her loud moan into his mouth. Her legs were shaking as he continued to rub her clit.

He started slowing down and started rubbing in circles as she came down from her high.

She laid there for a moment before she opened her eyes. He leaned down and started kissing her again, pulling her leg around him. He could feel her soaked panties.

"I want you so bad," he whispered and ground himself against her, making her gasp. "You ready for another one?" he whispered. Her eyes widened and she nodded her head. He moved her so she was on her back, and he pulled both her legs around her waist, and started grinding into her, shaking the bed a little.

Katniss felt the pressure against her ultra-sensitive clit, and she shook in Peeta's arms. "Does that feel good?" he panted. She nodded her head and moaned. He leaned down and bit her neck. "Tell me, "He panted.

"It feels good," she moaned. All he wanted to do was be inside her. He was fighting the urge to just yank his boxers down, rip her panties off her and plunge himself inside of her. The thought made him speed up.

"You make me feel so good Katniss," he moaned into her ear. Her arms wrapped tighter around his torso, pulling him to her body more. "I want to kiss every inch of your body," biting her shoulder.

"Peeta," she moaned. He knew she was close already again.

"I want you to orgasm for me. Just for me," he panted, and he snuck his hand between them, into her panties and rubbed her clit, bringing her right over the edge. He felt her burst and she dug her nails so hard into his back he knew she drew blood. He started to cum right along with her.

"OH Peeta," she came undone right in his arms. He loved watching her have an orgasm. He remembered every single one so far.

He moved his body, trying to milk everything out of himself. He collapsed half on her, half on the bed, panting into her neck, kissing her neck. "I wanna be with you like this every night for the rest of my life," he whispered. He rolled a little more off her. His legs still tangled with hers.

"I'll allow it," she told him. He smiled and kissed her.

"Let me wash you up," Peeta said. He helped her out of bed and into the bathroom. She grabbed a pair of underwear out of her drawer, and a pair for him. He had been staying there, so he had extra clothes as well.

He leaned up against the sink and pulled her to him. Wrapping his arms around her hips and putting his forehead on her shoulder, making her wrap her arms around his neck.

"I missed you so much Katniss Everdeen," Peeta told her.

"I missed you…I can't even tell you how much," she whispered. He kissed her shoulder and then gave her a simple kiss on the lips. He stood up and grabbed a washcloth and ran it under the water. He turned back and smiled at her.

He kissed her again as he hooked his fingers in her panties to pull them down. Not being careful anymore to not touch her. He let his fingers move carelessly and grazed her lips. Katniss sucked in a breath. He never broke contact with her. She still hadn't let him see her. And he could wait for that.

He grabbed the washcloth and brought it down to her vagina and started washing her. Touching her smooth skin.

"Is this, ok?" Peeta asked her. She nodded her head.

"Yes. It's ok…I want you to touch me," Katniss admitted.

She was trying so hard to share her feelings with Peeta. Even though it was the hardest thing for her. It's a thrill having him touch her body. Exhilarating. She wanted him to touch her everywhere. But he was so patient with her. In the moment, she knew that she could easily go all the way with him…but she knew she wasn't ready. And she was loving that he was going slow for her.

Every time they were intimate, she would think about it more and more, and waited for Peeta to figure out when she needed something more. She thought she would always be too scared to do anything intimate, but Peeta made her feel so comfortable. Peeta made her want to be intimate with him. There was never going to be anyone else that could bring out these feelings in her.

She had realized that her body wasn't her own anymore. Every time they were intimate, her body became his more and more. And one day when they finally make love, her entire body will belong to him. It'll belong to him, more than it belongs to her. Even now her body belongs more to him then herself.

Peeta smiled at her admission. "Good. Because I love touching you down here," he said as he ran his forefinger down her lips.

"But I love touching you everywhere," he chuckled. He finished washing her, and then ran his finger down her lips and then slipped his finger inside and ran it up to her clit. "All clean," he whispered.

He turned around and grabbed her clean panties off the counter and moved so she could put her feet through, and he pulled them back onto her body. Never looking down until they were on. He straightened them out and pulled on the bottoms and adjusted them. Katniss snorted and then chuckled.

"I think you're just taking advantage now," smiling at him.

"I'm just trying to make sure that you're comfortable and I put them on right," Peeta joked. Katniss burst out laughing.

"You're terrible," Katniss laughed and walked out of the bathroom.

Katniss was laughing. It was one of the most beautiful sounds.

The next morning after they were finished eating breakfast, Haymitch poked his head in.

"Hey Haymitch," Peeta said to him. Haymitch walked in.

"I wanted to make sure you were both decent," Haymitch said. Peeta scoffed and Katniss glared at him. Haymitch pointed at her.

"None of that crap. I wanted to talk to you. Remember last year when we came back. I said I had a doctor for you," Haymitch said. Katniss tensed up a little.

"I just said we had to wait till we got to District 13. She was trying to make it to District 12 while Peeta was getting help in the Capitol, but she wasn't in a physical position to be traveling," Haymitch told them. Peeta tilted his head. He wondered what the story was there.

"I don't need a doctor," Katniss griped at them.

"Don't be stubborn. You're going to like her. I promise you," Haymitch said as he walked over to the door. Katniss' eyes widened and Peeta thought flames were going to come out of her mouth.

"She's here right now?" Katniss demanded. Haymitch opened the door, and a woman walked in. She looked so familiar.

"Katniss, Peeta. This is Cenia," Haymitch told her. She smiled at them. She was wearing the same uniform that everyone in 13 wore.

"It's very nice to meet you. I've heard so much about the both of you," she said kindly. Katniss and Peeta looked at each other. She instantly liked her from the moment she walked in. Why would she like this woman? She knew nothing about her. And she was a freaken doctor.

"Well, I'm sure Haymitch has complained a lot about me. It's what he does best," Katniss grouched out. But Cenia smiled.

"Well, I have heard a lot from Haymitch about you. And I got here a day before you did. So, I've heard a lot about you from your friends and family," Cenia told her. Katniss narrowed her eyes at her. "I mostly heard about you from my brother,"

"Have we met before? You seem so familiar," Peeta said. She smiled as the door opened. Cinna walked in and stood next to her. Haymitch chuckled. Cenia was Cinna's sister. They looked identical. Cenia even had Cinna's short hair.

"I told you you'd meet my sister in 13," Cinna said. Katniss looked over at Haymitch.

"The doctor that you told me about is Cinna's sister? Why didn't you tell me who it was?" Katniss asked him.

"Because all you do is complain. I didn't feel like arguing with you for a whole year till we got here. So, I just never mentioned it again," Haymitch said.

"I wanted to wait awhile before I introduced myself. My presence would have made you angry. No matter if I'm Cinna's sister. And I didn't want that to be the first time you met me," Cenia said.

"It's really good to meet you," Peeta said.

"The other Victors have been taking up most of her time talking with her," Haymitch told her.

"I know you hate doctors. But…I really don't want you to think of me as that. I'm not gonna talk at you and tell you how to change your feelings and just put you on all types of medication. I can just listen. Or I could talk about me and Cinna growing up. Anything you want," Cenia said.

"You trusted me right when you met me. Cenia's just like me. Treat her like a friend. You'll instantly forget she's a doctor, because I promise she won't treat you like a patient," Cinna said. Cenia nodded her head.

"She even eats meals with us," Haymitch says. Cenia laughs.

"That's because Cinna's apart of this group. And me and him are a pair. And I swear, if we're not in a room talking, then anything outside of that room doesn't faze me. I don't sit there and judge everyone while I'm not working," Cenia said. Katniss just nodded her head.

"She's been really good with Annie and Librae," Haymitch told them. Peeta knew that Katniss was afraid to say anything.

"I wouldn't mind talking with you," Peeta said. Cenia smiled at him.

"I hope you do. I hope you both do. I'm gonna get out of your hair. I just wanted to introduce myself to you. And there's no obligation to talk with me. You can come to me. I'll see you both later," she said and excused herself.

"You really ought to give her a chance sweetheart," Haymitch told her.

"She's always wanted to meet you. And not because you're a Victor. Because of everything I've told her about you," Cinna said. Katniss looked the other way.

There was another knock on the door, and her actual doctor came in. Katniss rolled her eyes.

"We'll see you later," Cinna said.

"Just think about it," Haymitch said as they both walked out of the door. The doctor was coming in to check her before he discharged her.

"Let me go talk with Johanna really quick and I'll be back," Peeta said and kissed the top of her head. He went to find his compartment and knocked on the door. Johanna opened it and stared at him.

"What are you doing?" Johanna asked and walked back into the compartment, leaving the door opened. Peeta followed her in.

"I just wanted to talk with you about something," Peeta said. When he walked into the room, he saw Finnick sitting on the bed.

"Hey, how you feeling?" Finnick asked.

"Really good. Katniss is just getting checked out so she can get discharged," Peeta told him as he sat in a chair.

"I hate that damn place. They have the stupidest doctors here. Medical training underground. Idiots," Johanna said. Peeta and Finnick chuckled. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" she asked.

"I was wondering. You don't have to say yes if you feel uncomfortable. I know you and Katniss shared a compartment last time. And she loved staying with you. I was just wondering if it would be alright with you, if I stayed with you as well?" Peeta asked.

He watched as Johanna looked over at Finnick. He knew they had slept bundled together when they could in the Capitol. And when they were walking through Panem to get to District 13. But maybe that was as far as it went. He would feel terrible if she said no. How could they hurt her feelings when they wanted to stay together. They had been waiting for this day for so long.

"Do I get to make fun of both of you now?" Johanna asked. That question surprised him.

"You already do," Peeta chuckled. She let out a deep breath.

"I mean, I guess that would be ok. I didn't expect you to be coming along as well. I thought you'd stay with your dad. But yeah, it's fine," Johanna said. Peeta smiled at her.

"I really appreciate it. Thank you. I'm gonna go check if she's ready to get out of there. We'll see you in a little while," Peeta said as he left. Finnick laughed.

"That was awful. You already knew it was gonna be the three of you," Finnick laughed. She smiled and started laughing.

"Well, I never expected that he was going to ask me for permission. It just sounds better letting them think I allowed Peeta to stay with us. Now they'll owe me," Johanna said and smiled at him.

"We're a go," Peeta said as he walked in. Katniss ripped off her bracelet.

"Then let's go," Katniss grumbled and walked out with him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and they took their time walking towards their compartment.

"You haven't seen anyone else, have you?" Peeta asked suddenly. Katniss knew who he was talking about. Anyone who was supposed to be dead. She gulped.

"I couldn't face them just yet," Katniss answered honestly. Peeta stopped and turned to her and took her hand in his and squeezed it.

"Come on. You've been waiting a whole year for this. I've been waiting for you to have this moment. Let's go find our friends," Peeta said. Katniss took a deep breath and nodded. They honestly had no idea where to begin to look for anyone.

"Maybe the school. Most of them from the first Game would be back in school," Peeta said.

"True," Katniss said. They got into the elevator and walked down a hall to a different part of 13 that they had never been in. Why would they? They weren't in school. They looked all around for a while, until Peeta stopped, making Katniss stop when she felt resistance in his hand.

"What's wrong?" she asked him. He smiled and pulled her over to him.

"There's your friend," Peeta said, pointing to Rue. He watched as Katniss stood there in silence. This would be the moment when Katniss started to heal from Rue's death. He knew she'd always have nightmares, but with Rue alive, she would make it through. He wrapped his arm around her back, squeezing her arm.

"Come on. Let's go see her," he said. He started walking through the crowd towards Rue. She didn't see them at first. Peeta watched as Prim walked over to her, laughing. Katniss stopped again and gasped, covering her mouth. Peeta finally saw the tears fill her eyes.

"They're friends," Katniss cried softly. Peeta nodded his head.

"Yeah, I heard they were. Come on," Peeta told her. That was when Rue had turned her head and locked eyes with them. Prim turned when she saw Rue staring. Prim smiled widely. Rue burst out running and slammed into Katniss, almost making her fall. Katniss burst out crying.

"You're really alive," Katniss cried. Peeta felt Prim lean into him, and he threw his arm around her shoulder, bringing her close.

"It's ok now. You don't have to be so sad anymore," Rue told her. Katniss pulled back and wiped her eyes.

"Not a day goes by that I don't think about you. I'm so sorry. I would have let you win. I would never have hurt you. I tried to save you," Katniss cried.

"But I'm ok now. And my family's here. And I already know that we win. We'll be able to be real friends now. We'll get to be friends for the rest of our lives. Please don't feel like you let me down. You never did. It was the Capitol's fault. Not yours," Rue said, reaching up to wipe Katniss' tears.

"I failed you," Katniss whispered. Rue took her hands.

"You never failed me. You changed the world by how you took care of me. That's not failing. And we have a second chance now. And you did save me now. So, it doesn't matter what happened last time," she said, and smiled. Katniss hugged her again. After a moment, Rue pulled back.

"I feel like I gained a whole new family," Rue said and looked at Prim, smiling.

"Have you two been spending time together?" Katniss asked. They both nodded their heads.

"And Madge to. Ever since they came to District 13. And I've spent a lot of time with the Tributes from our Games. And when all the other Victors got here, they kinda just invited all of us into their group. It's been really amazing to get this whole new family. They understand what we went through. And they've been so helpful to us since they got here," Rue said.

"You're really going to like some of the kids from your Games," Prim said. This was the first time Katniss was hearing any of this.

"You've been hanging out with them?" Katniss asked them. Both girls smiled and nodded their heads.

"It really is like one big, huge family. And Cinna, Portia and Effie have been so wonderful to us. And we hang out with Gale's family a lot to. And Peeta's," Rue said. Katniss and Peeta looked at each other. This was all news to the both of them.

A bell rang suddenly, and Rue and Prim made a face.

"We have to get to our next class. But can we all eat dinner together?" Rue asked. Katniss nodded her head and smiled.

"I'd love that," Katniss said. Rue hugged her tightly.

"I'll really see you for dinner tonight. I promise," Rue said. Prim hugged Katniss, and Rue smiled at Peeta.

"It's wonderful to see you again Rue," Peeta whispered. She smiled and hugged him tightly.

"I'm glad you got here safely," Rue said into his ear and pulled away. "I think we're gonna be great friends to," she told him. He smiled at her, and then leaned forward and hugged her again, before her and Prim skipped off. Peeta and Katniss watched them and stood there until they were left by themselves in the hallway.

"Thank you for bringing me here," Katniss whispered. Peeta smiled and hugged her.

"You deserve to have your friends back," Peeta said. He pulled back and brushed some hair away. "Come on. Let's go back to the compartment," Peeta said, and they walked back.

Finnick was still there. He was sitting at the table with Johanna. But Annie was with them now, and she was sitting on Finnick's lap. "You're back," Annie cheered and hugged both of them tightly.

"I'm so happy you're both back now. Finnick can sleep a lot easier now," Annie said and sat back on Finnick's lap.

"Welcome back," Finnick said. Peeta and Katniss joined them at the table.

"So, I hear you were sleeping in the same bed as my girlfriend while I was risking my life, walking through the woods for almost two months," Peeta said. They laughed at him.

"Well, you know me. You weren't around, so I had to grab her while I could. Someone had to do it. She is the Girl on Fire," Finnick joked. Katniss hid her face in her hands.

"Well, I gave him permission to," Annie joked.

"Well, I was sleeping with Peeta while you were all here getting three meals a day and showers," Johanna said. Katniss took her hands away from her face.

"Were you naked?" Katniss asked dryly. The group burst out laughing. It was wonderful to hear Katniss joke around.

"It was too cold at night," Johanna joked. Katniss smirked, and then Johanna brought her attention back to Peeta. "I've never heard you reference Katniss as your girlfriend before. It's always fiancé, and then your wife. Since when do you say girlfriend?" Johanna asked.

Peeta and Katniss looked at each other, and he smiled. He loved that he finally got to call her his girlfriend.

"Fiancé and wife were for the Capitol. They were forcing us to be everything we weren't. But this is ours. We're being who we want to be. Boyfriend and girlfriend are just fine with us," Peeta said and smiled at her. Katniss covered her face and blushed again, making the other three chuckle. It was just a nice afternoon. It was peaceful.

Katniss and Peeta were left alone.

"Come lay down with me for a bit," Peeta said. He laid down up against the wall and she laid with him, facing him. She closed her eyes as she snuggled up to him. Hey lightly ran his hand up and down her back. "You doing ok?" he asked her. She nodded her head.

"I just don't understand how we made it here," she admitted.

"Yeah, I get that" Peeta said. They had been waiting over a year for this moment. He always told Katniss to take it one step at a time. Step 1 was going through their Games again. Then, step 2 was lasting a whole six months away from each other. Step 3, make it through the Victory Tour. Step 4, make it to the Quarter Quell. Step 5, make it through the Quarter Quell. This step gave them some time to breath. Step 6, get through the war! They could do this. They've done everything else. He had been counting the days until they were here. And it took so long.

A knock on the door interrupted them, and Katniss groaned. "If that's Plutarch tell him to shove it," Katniss growled, making Peeta chuckle and climb over her. He opened the door, and he was momentarily stunned. There, in person…was Thresh.

"Hey 12," Thresh said quietly. Peeta cleared his throat.

"Hey Katniss, you may want to get up for this," Peeta told her. He waved Thresh in and they met up with Katniss, who gave him the same face that Peeta did, making him laugh.

"It's good to finally see you guys," Thresh said. Katniss' eyes welled up with tears.

"Thank you for the way you treated my grandmother and sister. I know that you would have taken care of them for the rest of your lives. So, thank you," Thresh told them. Peeta shook his head.

"It wasn't going to take away the loss. But District 11 is like ours. There's too many people starving. And it was the least we could do. We couldn't bring either of you back," Peeta said and held his hand out. He cleared his throat. "Thank you for not hurting her. You saved our lives," Peeta said. Thresh smiled and shook his hand.

"When I saw my grandmother, she told me that everything happens for a reason. She was proud of what I did by honoring Rue, to spare your life. And that you two were meant to win, to give everyone back their freedom…it's pretty amazing being able to be a part of the road that led us here," Thresh said. Katniss wiped her tears.

"Thank you," she whispered and hugged him tightly.

"You're welcome 12," Thresh said, and patted her back. "So, I guess we're officially friends now. It's what you wanted. It's what you said in the Games," Thresh said. Katniss pulled back and wiped her tears again and she nodded her head.

"I'd love that," she told him.

"Yeah, me too," Peeta said.

"I have to get back to class. Some of us are still in school because we didn't win the Hunger Games," he laughed, walking towards the door. Peeta walked him out, and in walked Plutarch.

"I heard you both were out of the hospital. I'm really happy for the both of you," and walked right in. Thresh chuckled.

"Good luck," Thresh whispered. Peeta nodded and turned back to Plutarch.

"I wouldn't go in there," Peeta warned him. Not like it mattered. He walked right in, and Katniss spun around.

"What are you doing here?" Katniss demanded.

"We have a lot to talk about. We're really behind on all the propos. I have so many ideas for better one's- "

"What…are you doing here?" Katniss asked again.

"I was giving you some time to get better. I'm glad you're better. But we have some work to do- "

"I think I told Haymitch something along the lines of you and Coin can shove it up your ass," Katniss said. Peeta chuckled.

"Katniss- "

"I'm not wasting time acting like in asshole...we fight, we dare. To end this hunger for blah blah blah. No, I'm not doing that stupid crap. I'm not wasting my time. And I haven't agreed to even be your Mockingjay again," Katniss said and crossed her arms. Plutarch's eyes widened.

"Please tell me you're joking," he said and looked at her and then Peeta. Peeta held up his hands.

"Don't look at me. This is all on her," Peeta told him. Plutarch looked back at her.

"You cannot be serious," he told her.

"I am. Have you ever thought about me for once? How this was on me? Because I will never be the same. I was forced to go into the damn Hunger Games twice. I was forced to become the Mockingjay. Then I was forced into going back into the Games two more times, and now I'm being forced into being the Mockingjay a second time? No one has ever asked me what I wanted. And honestly, I don't want to do it again. So, get out of here. I'm not discussing this anymore," Katniss told him.

"Katniss. I understand this is hard on you. But this isn't about you- "he said, and she grabbed a cup and threw it at his head.

"GET OUT!" Katniss yelled. Plutarch all but ran out. Peeta laughed as he shut the door.

"I warned him not to come back in here," Peeta said. Katniss rolled his eyes.

"Are you gonna do it?" he asked her softly. She rolled her eyes.

"Of course, I am. Whether I like it or not, I have to. I can't not do it. It's true though. I'm being forced. I've never truly been given a choice," Katniss said and looked away. By the time Peeta got to her, he wiped the tear that just fell.

"The only reason I agreed to become the Mockingjay was so they would save you and pardon you," Katniss admitted to him. Peeta turned her head.

"What do mean?" he asked her. He pulled her over to the bed to sit down and brushed some hair away from her face.

"I was lying in bed…and I had this dream. In my dream, I was having a nightmare and I woke up in my bed here screaming…" she trailed off and he wrapped his arm around her. He wanted to tell her it was ok. That she didn't have to say anything. But she had to. She had to get this out. For herself. So, he just waited in silence.

"And you came running in asking if I was ok. I told you it was just a nightmare…you said 'it's ok. I get them to', and then you went to walk away, but I asked you to stay with me. You got into my bed and held me, and said 'always'," she sat there for a few minutes again, trying to get the words out.

"I woke up…and it was just a dream. You weren't there. You were captured in the Capitol," she cried. Peeta pulled her to his chest. He still couldn't say anything. She had to talk. After a few minutes, she sat back up.

"Prim woke up and got into my bed. She said that I didn't realize how important I was, and that I could ask Coin for anything…so, I made you the biggest priority in my deal," she told him. He tilted his head.

"So, there was more to the deal?" he asked her. She looked at him and the corner of her mouth curled up slightly.

"A couple of things. Killing Snow…me and Gale going hunting," Katniss snorted and looked at the wall. "Coin's such a bitch,"

"Gale. I'll need him with me," Katniss said

"With you how? Off camera? By your side at all times? Do you want him to be presented as your new lover?" Coin asked.

"What?" Katniss asks.

"I think we should continue with the current romance. A defecation from Peeta could cause the audience to lose sympathy for her. Especially since they think she's pregnant with his child," Plutarch said.

"Agreed. So, on-screen, Gale can simply be portrayed as a fellow rebel. Is that all right? For Gale. Would that be sufficient?" Coin asked.

"We can always work him in as your cousin," Plutarch said.

"We're not cousins," both Katniss and Gale said.

"Right, but we should probably keep that up for appearances sake on camera. Off camera, he's all yours," Plutarch told her.

Katniss let out a sob. "They were just so callous. They just talked so easily that I was just ready to dispose of you because they thought I was in love with Gale, and that everything between us was an act. It was so demeaning to stand there knowing that they were thinking I was concerned about the focus of who my current lover was. The words that were coming out of my mouth were to save you. That's not someone who has no feelings for you. They cared about the freaken audience. Keeping up the current romance. It was an act. And they just talked about me like I was a puppet, right in front of me," she cried. She put her hands in her face.

"All I cared about was you. All I wanted was for someone to save you. I wanted you by my side. And they just thought I was so shallow that I would just throw you away," It broke his heart to listen to her cry like that.

"Ever since I got here, all they kept doing was telling me I was the Mockingjay. I was the face of the Rebellion. I had a freaken concussion and they were giving me drugs. My mind was so cloudy. I couldn't remember what was real or not. I thought my hospital room floor one night was writhing snakes," she cried. Peeta suddenly realized that she was back there. Back when she first got to 13. Her mind went back to that time.

If she could see his face right now, she wouldn't like it. She would think he was pitying her. But he didn't pity her. He wished for anything in the world, that he had been there with her. He would have held her hand, and reminded her of what was real, and what wasn't. He would have kept her grounded.

"I kept fighting everything they wanted to do. I wouldn't go along with any of their plans unless they let me see District 12 again. Plutarch finally told them to let me just because he was tired of me. 'Better to waste a day than another month' he said. And they stayed in the hovercraft above me while I walked around...I saw my home, "she whispered.

He knew what home she meant. Her home in the Seam.

"There was nothing left," she said sadly. He knew it was the same for his home also.

"I had to start reminding myself of the facts, because I kept forgetting what was going on. And whatever I would think about, would always end with you. That you may be dead. They're probably torturing you," she cried. She suddenly turned to him and grabbed onto him tightly, like she was afraid he would be taken away from her. He lifted her head, so she was looking at him.

"Hey, hey, hey. I'm right here. See," he told her, putting his hands on her cheeks, making her look at him. Then he grabbed her hands, and placed them on his own cheeks, and held her hands to his face.

"See I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. You're safe right here with me," he said. She nodded her head, and then wrapped her arms around his neck. He moved her around so he could sit at the head of their bed, and she was almost laying in his lap now, her face buried in his neck. He took a deep breath of her hair. She smelled like the woods. It could only smell good on her.

"No matter what I was doing, I constantly had all these horrible images of you being tortured. Drowned, burned, lacerated, shocked, maimed and beaten," she cried.

He squeezed her so tight, he thought he would crush her. Every single one of those things happened to him. He never wanted to tell Katniss how bad it truly was there. He hadn't really thought about it too much because he had been hijacked. None of it affected him then.

But as soon as they came back, he went into the Hunger Games again, and he came home, without the help of the sleeping pills, or the rebels keeping him asleep, that is when he finally let himself remember his tortured days in the Capitol. He wakes up from nightmares from it. Being tortured to give information. When Snow knew all along, that he had no answers.

"I'm ok Katniss. Please baby I'm ok. I'm right here," he tried to soothe her. This had not been what he expected to happen today. Being back in 13 is what brought this on. Probably knowing that there weren't any hidden cameras or microphones watching and listening to their every move probably had something to do with it. He wanted so much to make her stop talking. It was killing her…but he knew that if she stopped talking, she would stop talking for good. Like when she killed herself.

"All I could think about, was that if I could just reach out and send my thoughts into your mind letting you know you weren't alone. But you were alone. And I couldn't help you," she sobbed. He suddenly realized that he was crying. Just remembering that time was so painful to him.

"How could I not have realized that I loved you. I couldn't get through five minutes without thinking of you. Without aching for you. I wanted you to know how sorry I was. How I wished I could help you. But no one would let me. I'm so sorry Peeta," she cried.

He cried with her. Talking about him being tortured, even though she wasn't talking of the torture. It was hard on him. He has only started dealing with it after they got back from their first Games, a second time. It wasn't really even dealing with what happened, it was just finally hitting him that it did happen. He had found himself more times than he could count, waking up from nightmares, and going to Haymitch's house. When this happened, he didn't sleep at night, and he would hang out with him. Peeta would just cat nap through the day. But he supposed he was dealing with PTSD to.

"That first time I saw you on TV. God Peeta I never thought I'd see you again. I ran to the monitor and touched the screen. Knowing you were alive and not hurt. It was like clearing the fog out of my head. All the pain in my body was gone. I could breathe Peeta. You were alive," she cried. She let out a relieved cry. He never knew how she felt when she saw him for the first time. It was gut wrenching to hear.

"All you ever did was defend me. You sat there, knowing that you were being held prisoner, and you fought for my innocence. No one has ever loved me so much like you have Peeta," she cried. It was true. He defended her. He knew that Katniss wasn't keeping secrets from him about the Rebels. He knew that she didn't know. Even if Snow told him otherwise.

He wanted to talk, but he just knew, that he should keep letting her talk. It took everything in him to stay quiet.

"We were in Command and Coin didn't want me to leave the room. They wanted to discuss everything you had just said. But I ran out of there, and found a closet to hide in. I always hid in the closet. And I kept whispering that you were alive. I just kept repeating it to myself. Over and over again. And I was smiling because you were alive," she whispered to him.

It was odd, and heartwarming to think of Katniss like that. He had never known what she was like when he was held hostage in the Capitol. He didn't realize how bad she was suffering without him.

"Gale found me in the closet. He was the only one I felt like I could talk to at that point. I hated Haymitch, and I couldn't talk to Prim and my mother. You weren't there. He was the only one I could talk to. And we sat there trying to figure out why you called for a cease-fire. He said you were still trying to protect me. They threaten you, and you're still protecting me," she said. It was the truth. His words were his only weapon at that point.

"And then I knew, I had to be their Mockingjay," she said gravely.

"I took out the pearl you gave me. I always kept it close by. I moved it across my lips, because I thought it felt like a cool kiss, like the boy who gave it to me," she admitted to him.

He was shocked that she ever admitted anything like that. But then he smiled. It was incredibly girly that Katniss would touch a pearl to her lips, and think it felt like a kiss he had given her. But it also made him realize, just how terribly she was mentally breaking down back then. She was hiding in closets whispering to herself and rubbing pearls against her lips.

"It kept me sane," she whispered. He kissed the top of her head.

"I was scared to be their Mockingjay because I was afraid for what the rebels would do to you when you got out. And that was the night that Prim woke up. She told me if I wanted to keep you safe I could. That the rebels would do anything I wanted. She was right. That's how I got them to give you immunity. Because I demanded it in front of everyone," she said.

Prim was a smart girl. She had grown up so much in just a year. It wasn't fair. And he knew it hurt Katniss. He knew it was enough now. She couldn't go on like this every day.

"I'm here now. I'm not stuck in the Capitol. I'm here right you. You're right here with me, and I'm never getting separated from you again," Peeta told her. Katniss squeezed him tight.

"I asked them for one more thing," Katniss said. Peeta nodded his head.

"What was that?" he asked her softly.

"That Prim got to keep her cat," Katniss said. Now that wasn't what he expected. Peeta made her sit up and he laughed.

"That was one of your conditions? That Prim got to keep Buttercup?" Peeta asked. She nodded her head, and he laughed. He kissed her head.

"Well Mrs. Everdeen. Write down your demands and we'll bring them down to Plutarch and Coin tomorrow,"

They had gone to the last dinner shift. No one was there, and they were able to eat by themselves unnoticed. Katniss was mentally exhausted and wanted to go to bed. Right as they had just settled down, Johanna came strolling in, being loud and then stopped when she saw them.

"You're already in bed? It's like 9:00. Don't tell me I'm living with old ladies with bedtimes," Johanna said. Katniss and Peeta were facing each other, and Katniss had to turn her head to look at her, and the two of them laughed.

"You don't have to go to sleep right now. We're not stopping you from doing anything," Katniss said.

"It's not about being quiet or anything. You guys are gonna be boring if you go to bed early every night. I have no one to talk to," Johanna complained and flopped on the bed. Peeta leaned up on his elbow. He didn't realize, that sharing a room with Johanna may not be so bad. It seems like it's gonna be fun.

"What would you like to talk about Johanna? You have our full, undivided attention," Peeta said. Johanna sat back up and clapped her hands.

"Ok. Can we please talk about how hot your brother is," Johanna said. Peeta's mouth dropped, Katniss whipped her body around to look at her, and then fell right on her back and burst out laughing.

"Well, he is. Like a totally hunk," Johanna said.

"Which one?" Katniss asked her.

"Oh. I don't remember their names. The one with the longer hair," Johanna said. This just made Katniss laugh louder.

"Ryee," Peeta said. Johanna tilted her head.

"Wait. Your brother's name is Ryee? And your name is Peeta?" Johanna asked.

"Oh God here we go again," Peeta said and collapsed on his back as well.

"You and your brothers are named after bread?" Johanna asked. Peeta groaned and covered his face with his hands. He could not understand why everyone found this so funny. They were bakers. So, of course they would have names after bread.

"Ok I need to know the rest. What's your other brothers name?" Johanna asked.

"I'm not answering you," Peeta groaned.

"Wheet," Katniss answered. He looked over at her.

"You're such a traitor," Peeta said. She just laughed.

"And what's your dad's name?" Johanna asked. Peeta stayed silent.

"Breeoshe," Katniss told her.

"Ok what about the rest of your family? Grandfather. Uncles. Cousins," Johanna said. Katniss leaned up on her elbows.

"I don't know," Katniss said. They sat in silence for a minute. Peeta could feel them staring at him. He knew it was a lost cause. Someone would find out. All they had to do was ask his dad, and he'd tell them.

"My grandfather's name was Biscottee," Peeta relented, not bothering to look up. Katniss and Johanna laughed.

"And your great-grandfather?" Johanna asked. Peeta just groaned.

"Rotee," Peeta told her.

"Ok I need more. Uncles, cousins. I need the whole bread family," Johanna told him. Peeta rolled his eyes.

"My dad had two brothers. Bageel and Bagueete. My dad had cousins. Beescuit, Cheebatta and Creepe, and he also had uncles, Crumpeet and Pretzeel. Alright, are you satisfied? Now you know all the male names in my family," Peeta told them.

"Do they all have the double e's?" Katniss asked. Peeta nodded his head.

"Oh, this is truly the best day ever. The Baker family. The Baker brothers," Johanna said, cracking herself up. Peeta picked his head up and looked at her. He looked over and Katniss was smiling at her. How could he refuse her that moment of laughter.

"Alright good talk. Good night," Peeta said as he turned on his side and threw his arm around Katniss' waist, while she was still laying on her back.

"Wait a minute. We never talked about how hot your brother is," Johanna said. Katniss burst out laughing again.

The next morning Haymitch came to see them. "What's wrong now?" Katniss asked miserably as she sat at the table, writing her demands. She already wrote something and sealed it in an envelope. She needed this to stay a secret until the very last minute. No one could know about this and ruin her whole plan. She was never certain about anything. But in this envelope, what she had written down, she WAS certain of.

"Well. We have some news on the whole video of Peeta and Caesar," Haymitch said as he and Peeta sat down at the table.

"I don't even wanna see it," Peeta said and scratched his forehead.

"Well, we might be seeing it up close and personal," Haymitch says. They both just stared at him.

"He didn't make those images like he did with your hijacking," Haymitch told him. Peeta shivered. "They're actual people," Haymitch said.

"What?" Peeta asked.

"Snow has what they call doppelgangers. It's basically your twin. These people were transformed, surgically into looking like you…and mentally," Haymitch said gravely.

"Mentally," Katniss said. Peeta gulped.

"They used?" Peeta couldn't even say it. Haymitch nodded his head. They Hijacked these people. Peeta leaned his elbows on the table and covered his face.

Whoever was pretending to be him had been hijacked, to believe that he was Peeta Mellark. This was an all-time low. How horrible for these innocent people to just get picked up by the Capitol, have surgery to alter your face and body, and made to believe you're not you anymore?

He felt the queasiness in his stomach. He felt the bile coming up his throat-

He felt an arm around his shoulder, and a kiss to his temple. He felt someone pushing his face away from his hands so they could hold his hands. He opened his eyes to see that it was Katniss.

"It's not your fault. It's all Snow. He did this," Katniss told him. Peeta just shook his head.

"He has a few of them. He knows which hovercraft crashed, and who was on it. But he doesn't know that Peeta, Johanna and Enobaria survived. So, he has a twin for all three of them. He's been waiting to see if anyone resurfaces. When Snow hasn't seen you, Finnick or Beetee's face, he assumed you were hiding, and he used Peeta's twin to try and draw you out. And since you didn't, now he wants to pull all three of them, and Caesar's out," Haymitch said.

Peeta looked at Katniss and saw her squinting her eyes, like she was trying to remember something. "Caesar?" Haymitch nodded.

"Was he in my hospital room?" Katniss asked. Haymitch nodded his head.

"Caesar Flickermen is on our side?" Peeta asked.

"Always has been. How do you think Snow just easily told you he was gonna bomb District 13? Flickerman convinced him. Because he knew we were going to show that video of District 12 being bombed. Showed Peeta his home. He knew Peeta would try and protect you," Haymitch told her.

Katniss and Haymitch's eyes turned to Peeta. Something was going on Peeta's head that scared Katniss. Was he having a flashback? But he couldn't have a flashback, could he? He wasn't hijacked anymore. But his eyes were screwed up tight. And then he grabbed his hair like he did before when he called himself a mutt. When he thought she was a mutt.

"You'll be dead by morning," Peeta warned her before they grabbed him and punched him and started beating him.

"Take him back to his cell," Snow said as they dragged Peeta down to his cell.

They hooked him up by his hands. In metal cuffs. His body couldn't go limp. They brought in the TV and started showing a video of Katniss on top of Gale, riding him.

"Harder," Katniss panted as she bounced on top of Gale. It was all shiny.

"I hate Peeta. I'm going to kill him," Katniss panted on top of Gale.

"I have to kill him. I'm going to kill everyone Peeta loves," Katniss hissed. Please don't say that Katniss. Come back and get me. I'm right here, holding on for you. Please don't say you hate me. I love you!

Katniss gasped and covered her mouth.

"Katniss stop it!" Haymitch told her as he knelt beside Peeta and put his hand on his back. "Remember that real and not real game? Well, it still can work even without Trackerjacker venom. So, whatever the hell you're seeing in your head isn't real anymore. It really happened, but it's not happening anymore. So, just breathe," Haymitch said. Peeta took a few deep breaths and let them out, and he slowly picked up his head. Haymitch squeezed his shoulder and sat back in his chair.

"Better?" Haymitch asked. Peeta nodded his head. He looked over at Katniss. She had tears in her eyes. He reached for her hand.

"It's ok. I'm ok. It just got me for a minute. But I'm ok," Peeta said and pulled his chair next to her and pulled her to him. "Don't get upset. It just…It just hit me all of a sudden. But I'm ok," Peeta said.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, but we gotta focus. I know this is hard for you," Haymitch said.

"We're going to meet Plutarch and Coin. She's gonna agree to be the Mockingjay and give Coin a list of demands. It'll be a piece of cake. We're just coming up with anything to make her think that she's in control. But we have to think of something really big,"

"Well, that's pretty simple. Have her rescue your Twins. Make her seem like it was her idea,"

"That sounds pretty smart. It sounds like a really good idea actually. So, are you almost done with those demands Katniss?" Peeta asked.

"Yeah, I just need a few more minutes," Katniss told him, worried that he would see what else she was writing. She finished up what she was writing, and they headed down to command to meet Plutarch and Coin. On the way there though they saw Finnick walking up to them with Muscida.

"Oh God I don't want to deal with her," Katniss groaned.

"Hey there, you old hag," Haymitch said to her.

"Could you guys be any ruder to her?" Peeta asked.

"She called me a whore," Katniss said. Muscida smacked Finnick, making him laugh.

"Don't tell her that," Muscida said. Haymitch leaned over and kissed her.

"Good morning you crochety old bitch," Haymitch said. Peeta couldn't believe how they treated her. I mean yes, she was harsh, and callous, and she was old and crotchety, but she was a Victor. Give her grace.

"Katniss, Peeta. I would like to reintroduce you to someone, that we love to hate. This is Muscida. The real Muscida. The one that we all actually enjoy being around, and someone we don't actually hate," Finnick said.

"Every year she sends with Finnick her secret family recipe of my favorite brownies. All for me," Haymitch said and kissed her cheek.

"I did not call you any of those names by the way," she said and reached for her and Peeta's intertwined hands and put them between both of hers. "I'm sorry for everything you've been through. It's a terrible tragedy that you had to go through it once, let along twice," she said and stood back. Katniss and Peeta just stared. Haymitch and Finnick started laughing.

"I think they're a little stunned by how nice you actually are," Finnick laughed.

"And how much we don't really hate you," Haymitch laughed.

"They're probably waiting for her to hit them with her cane," Finnick laughed. It was true. They were waiting for her to hit someone with her cane.

"All the Victors have a role to play. That was mine. And now, I get to take that hat off, and I get to see Victors take down Snow. So, thank you," she said.

"Wow um…it's nice to finally meet you," Peeta said and stepped forward and hugged her.

Katniss was just in shock by the whole thing. She had heard multiple times now, 'We all have a role to play'. She just didn't think that this was what everyone meant. No one ever got to be who they really were. She knew that had her and Peeta not gone into the Quarter Quell, they would have been forced to be in love and have children to watch get reaped. They would have never truly found each other. They would never be able to live out their lives in peace. Katniss would be as old as Muscida, living a lie.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and shook her head. "Katniss are you ok?" Peeta asked softly. She looked up and realized all four of them were staring at her.

"I'm sorry that you never got to be who you really are," Katniss said softly. She wiped a tear off her cheek.

"Well…it happened. And there's nothing that I got to do about it. But I've spent all these years helping take care of these guys," Muscida said, looking between Haymitch and Finnick. "I may not be able to fight in the war. But I get to watch some of the bravest people that I have had the pleasure of becoming family with, fight in the war," Muscida said.

"Kinda feel bad now after you yelled out that she's an ugly old lady who smells of moth balls and a dumb hag," Finnick joked. Katniss mouth fell open, and they laughed. Katniss felt the blush heat up her face.

"It's alright dear," Muscida said and hugged her and then pulled back. "Take me back to my room Finnick," Muscida laughed.

The three of them started walking, and Katniss stopped, and pulled out her paper and wrote something else on it. They followed her to Command where Plutarch and Coin were.

"Nice of you to finally join us," Coin said calmly. Katniss took a deep breath, and she felt Peeta squeeze her hand.

"I'll be your Mockingjay. But I have some conditions. Every day we get to go outside and walk around. You can't shove us all down here. We need to breathe fresh air, and if I stay stuck in this tomb every day, I will go crazy. I want to hunt, and anything that I hunt, I'll bring back to the kitchens," Peeta smiled at her.

"Individuals don't make demands in 13," Coin said.

"I am asking for a few hours a day to go outside and hunt. I don't know what you do to clear your mind, but this is what I do. I will not be shut down here like a prisoner. I am not a prisoner anymore and I won't be treated like one," Katniss started yelling. Haymitch pushed her back and little, while Peeta pulled her back.

Peeta knew where that was coming from. This wasn't anger about Coin saying she couldn't hunt. This was anger from Coin killing Prim. And now wasn't the time for that. They needed to keep her calm.

"Don't do this right now," Haymitch whispered to her. Katniss nodded her head.

"Madam President. It's just a few hours a day. She'll bring in fresh food to share. It's different for everyone in 13. They've never been up there before. Just like we don't understand how to live a military life. We have to meet each other in the middle on some things," Plutarch said. Katniss rolled her eyes. He was only saying that so Katniss wouldn't yell at him again.

"Fine. Anything else?"

"When we go back to 12…I'm packing some of my clothes. I feel like I'm suffocating. It's bad enough I'm in a mass grave, I don't want to wear the same things every day. It's depressing. And anyone else who wants to wear their own clothes can wear them to. It will keep all these jumpsuits spread out more if we're not all wearing them," Katniss said.

Peeta covered his mouth to cover his smile. He met Haymitch's eyes, and he was hiding his smile as well. He couldn't believe that that was what was on her mind. Wearing her regular clothes.

"You're seriously asking me that?" Coin asked. Katniss nodded and she crossed her arms. "Fine. Is that all?"

"The people in the Capitol that were made to look like us. When given the opportunity we need to save them," Katniss said. Peeta and Haymitch looked at each other. "They're being made to think that they're us and trying to be used as a weapon. Snow doesn't know that Peeta, Johanna or Enobaria are alive. He's going to use them as bait. When the opportunity arises, then we need to save them. Once they're here, then all hell will break loose because all of Panem will see what he did to three innocent people," Katniss said.

Peeta was impressed. She was speaking Coin's language. Katniss didn't need to ask her to speak in front of all District 13. She knew Coin would say yes.

"And then one more thing," Katniss said as she let out a shaky breath and held out an envelope. "I want you to approve what I have written here," Katniss said. They all looked at each other.

"Let me read it," Coin said, holding her hand out. But Katniss shook her head.

"I want you to say yes to this. Without seeing it. And I understand that this could say anything. But it's nothing that is going to bother you. It's not even going to affect you. But if I say it now…it won't be followed. But if you say it, then it will," Katniss said.

"What is it?" Plutarch asked.

"I'm not opening it until the moment it needs to be opened,"

"Then how can you honestly think that I would just say yes without knowing what I'm saying yes to?" she asked Katniss. Katniss stood there, shaking.

"You have no idea what I have been through. Anything I ever wanted…I have always had it stolen from me. Or had it broken," Katniss said, her voice breaking, and tears flowing.

Peeta had no idea what was happening. What could she want so bad that she had it written and sealed?

"I'm making my face, the Face of the Rebellion. I'm the one who has to be tortured. I'm the one who has to inspire all this damn hope for Panem to stand up and take back what's ours. All I am asking for is this one thing. And if we all know what it is that I want…I won't get it. So, I'm begging you to trust me. And say yes to this," Katniss asked. The room was silent. You could cut the tension with a knife.

"Ok," Coin said.

"Thank you," Katniss said, and spun around and walked out of the room. Peeta and Haymitch caught up to her and made her stop.

"What is that?" Peeta asked. Katniss shook her head and shoved it in her shirt.

"I'm not telling anyone," Katniss said. Peeta and Haymitch just looked at each other.

"Not even me?" Peeta asked, his heart dropping. Katniss started crying.

"I'm not telling anyone. Clear across the board. No one can know," Katniss sobbed and fell into Peeta's arms. Peeta and Haymitch just stared at each other.

"Katniss what is going on? Please. You can tell us," Peeta said but Katniss tore herself away.

"No. I can't," she spun around and ran down the hall. Haymitch grabbed his arm.

"Let her go. She just needs some time to herself. She hasn't had one moment by herself since we left home," Haymitch said.

Since they left home? That seemed so long ago. It seemed like a whole other lifetime ago. What could Katniss be keeping from him. But why was she even doing it?

"What could she possibly want secretly written that she won't even ask for right now?" Peeta asked her, running his hands through his hair. Haymitch put his hands on Peeta's shoulder.

"Peeta. You need to listen to me," Haymitch said. Peeta stopped and looked at him. "I don't know what she's doing. But whatever it is, it's to keep all of us safe. So, just let her have whatever it is. She needs it," Haymitch told him and pulled back. Peeta scrubbed his face.

He didn't like when Katniss got frantic like this. She always did something crazy. She was never herself. And she just pulled herself out of an episode. The second worst episode she's ever had. He didn't want her to go right back into another one.

"We just need to support whatever she wrote down. Even if we don't like it. Even if I think it's fucking stupid," Haymitch grumbled. Haymitch stood back up. "Come on. We're all meeting to discuss propos. And we'll have to talk about our next step with your little doppelgangers," Haymitch told him, squeezing his shoulder and pulling him along.

Katniss had run over to where school was being held. She spotted the little blonde angel and went running for her.

"Katniss are you ok?" Prim asked, looking her up and down.

"I need to talk to you," Katniss said and started looking around, and then pulled her into a supply closet.

"Katniss you're not ok. What's wrong?" Prim asked, holding Katniss' arm.

"I asked Coin for a few things. And then I made her promise to give me what's written on here," Katniss said, pulling out an envelope.

"What did you ask for?" Prim asked, worried about her sister. She looked like she was beginning to fall into her one of her episodes again.

"Prim please. I need you to hold onto this and not show anyone. I need you to hide it and never tell anyone that you have it. Coin promised me I could have what's written down, and I can't give it to her until the last minute so nobody can fight me on it," Katniss said, shoving the envelope into Prim's hand.

"Ok Katniss, I can do that. But what's on it?" Prim asked. Katniss shook her head.

"I'm not telling anyone. No one can know what it says. And no one can know that you have this. Promise me Prim," Katniss said, squeezing's Prim's hands tightly.

"Of course. You know I will," Prim said and hugged her tightly. Prim felt some of the tension leave her sister's body.

Prim was the only person that Katniss could truly trust with this secret. Prim would respect her wishes, and never betray her. Not that the others she couldn't trust or would betray her…but they would try and change her mind. And Katniss couldn't do that. She wouldn't do that.

"Thank you," Katniss whispered.

Peeta had sat with Haymitch, Finnick, Gale, Boggs, Beetee, Cressida, Plutarch, and even Chaff in Command to discuss what they did last time, versus what they did this time. Peeta didn't feel like too much help. He had watched footage of what happened in 13 last time, but he was under the influence of trackerjacker venom. He shivered at that thought. Would that ever change?

They would go to District 8 like they did last time. This is where Katniss would finally make an appearance.

"She's not going to want to do it if it means killing 2,000 innocent lives," Gale said.

"They have the tunnels as well. There's no one in there. We're going to let them catch you guys outside, and then they'll bomb an empty hospital," Plutarch said. The men all looked at each other, besides Plutarch. They were worried about Katniss' mental state by her going and reliving that.

"We need a backup plan for Katniss. If she can't shoot them down. Or is she can't say what she needs to about Fire is Catching," Haymitch said. They all sat there for a few minutes. Waiting for someone to come up with a good idea.

"I'll go. If Snow sees Katniss alive, then he'll figure out I'm alive as well. Give me one of those bow and arrow things that Gale has. Beetee didn't you say you added something more, some sensor or navigation thing that the arrows will always hit their target?" Finnick asked.

"I did. It's a bit more technical. But if you tell it what to hit, then the arrows will make sure that it hits the target every time," Beetee said. Finnick raised his hands and smiled.

"Well, there ya go. I won't miss," Finnick said.

"But what if she has a breakdown?" Chaff asked.

"If she does it on camera, we can edit that out. I won't let anyone see her that way," Cressida said.

"Is there a way to stop her from having a breakdown?" Chaff asked. Haymitch looked at Peeta.

"Only the boy can stop that from happening," Haymitch said.

"He can't be right on site. I can have soldiers right on her. Their mission will be able to take care of her and get her out of the cameras view. Peeta can stay on the hovercraft out of camera site. If she does breakdown, the soldiers will take her back to the hovercraft. She can have an earpiece directly to Peeta," Boggs said. Haymitch snorted and patted Peeta on the back.

"Good luck with her listening to you. She ignored everything I said last time," he joked.

"Katniss delivered a beautiful speech last time. It was a real speech. What do we do then to make Panem feel something?" Plutarch asked.

"I can do it. I can say what she said, but I can add something else if need be. I can do it, or I can help her do it," Finnick said.

"I think she'll get through it though," Haymitch said. Peeta looked up at him gratefully. "We need to have confidence in her. If she thinks that we have any doubt in her, then she won't be able to get through it," Haymitch said.

"She'll get through District 8," Peeta said. Everyone looked at him. "It's once it's over, is when she's gonna breakdown," Peeta said sadly and then got up and left Command. He wondered if this is what those meetings were going to be all about. Him coming in and being useless, and just sitting there saying he'll take care of Katniss.

He also wondered if he would have felt like that if Katniss hadn't written some secret letter that she had been so upset about. He figured that's what was putting him in this mood. But he was just thrown by this. Katniss had been so honest with him since they came back. She was trying to share what was going on in her head. So why was she keeping this to herself now?

He went back to their compartment and just laid down on the bed with his hands behind his head. He laid there wracking his brain, trying to figure out what Katniss wanted from Coin that she didn't have last time. Last time…he was in the Capitol. It made him shudder.

He had been so lost in thought, that he accidently fell asleep.

"Welcome back, Mr. Mellark," Snow said. Peeta sat straight up and looked around. He was lying on the white, tiled floor. Bright white lights lit up the whole room. It was his cell in the Capitol. He jumped when he heard Johanna screaming. He grabbed his head.

"No, no, no, no, no. I'm not here," Peeta cried.

"Oh Mr. Mellark. Did you really think I'd let you go? I own you," Snow said. All of a sudden, the guards came in with a cattle prod.

"No! Please don't do this!" Peeta cried when the cattle prod hit him.

"Katniss left you here to die. She left you here on purpose. She wants you to suffer. She's evil Peeta. And you must kill her," Snow said as they injected him with tracker jacker venom.

Peeta sat straight up in his bed screaming. He looked all around as he gasped for air. Not real. Not real. Oh God. That's what was happening to him right now. He had been so brutally beaten in that cell.

He started crying as he brought his knees up to his chest and hid his face in his chest, pulling on the hair behind his head.

"Peeta?" he heard Katniss call frantically.

"Not real. Not real," he whispered to himself.

Katniss heard his scream all the way down the hall and went running into their room. She knew that scream. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw him curled up in the corner of the bed, muttering to himself. She went running over to the bed to sit in front of him.

"Peeta it's ok. You're safe now," Katniss said.

"Not real. Not real," Peeta muttered. It broke her heart to hear those two words coming out of his mouth. She was terrible at trying to comfort Peeta. He always made her feel safe when he comforted her. He could pull her out of any episode she was in, no matter how far away she was. He could soothe her after any nightmare. But could she do that for him? She highly doubted it. He was just stuck with her. He shouldn't even stay with her.

And then a thought struck her. What she did, by springing that envelope on him is what caused his nightmare. This one was on her. This was her fault.

She took one of his hands and put it over her heart. "I'm right here Peeta. See?" she said. He wouldn't look up though. God, she was absolutely terrible at this. "Peeta please. I'm right here. You're safe," she told him. She bit her bottom lip, and then thought of something else. She dropped his hand and unbuttoned the top few buttons of her ugly, gray uniform and then took his hand back and placed it over her heart.

"Peeta just take a deep breath. Feel my heart beating?" she asked him. He very slowly started listening to her and she squeezed his hand.

"That's it. Just keep breathing. It's just you and me. You're safe here," Katniss said as she pushed her other hand to run through his hair. After a few minutes he sat up and looked at her, and she smiled.

"Welcome back Peeta," she whispered. It was what Peeta had been saying to her when she would finally come out of her episodes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. Her smile dropped.

"No. You can't be sorry. This wasn't your fault. It's just a nightmare. It wasn't real," Katniss told him. He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. She took his hand off of her chest and squeezed it. Then she brushed his sweaty hair off of his face.

"Come on, let's get those sweaty clothes off of you," she said. He nodded his head, and he let her help him up and into the bathroom. She started undressing him, taking off his shirt and pulling down his pants until he was just in his boxers again.

It was a familiar routine for them. But sometimes all they needed was their special routine to get them through these moments. He sat on the toilet while she ran a cold, wet cloth all over him. She pushed her hands under his shorts on his thigh, venturing further than before. She had him stand up at the end and she wet the cloth again and put it inside his shorts just a little all around. But then she stopped at his front side again and they stared at each other.

Both of their eyes were starting to turn glossy. "Will you touch me?" Peeta whispered. She nodded her head and hesitated. She was nervous to do this. Last time Peeta was the one who controlled her hand. And her hand was on top of his boxers. This time it would be right inside his pants, and her controlling her movements.

She gulped and slowly slid the wet cloth down inside his pants, covering his shaft and moving it down. He threw his head back and moaned as she ran the cloth slowly up and down Peeta's shaft, and she felt it grow harder and longer in her hands. She didn't realize how large he was. And this time she was doing it on her own. It was a thrill being the one to be the one giving Peeta pleasure. All her. He pulled his head back down and stared at her. Full lust was in Peeta's eyes.

He suddenly grabbed her around the waist and slammed his lips against hers. Pushing his tongue past her lips and into her mouth. She dropped the washcloth and held onto his shoulders, gasping from the shock. His arms pulled her to him roughly. She felt something inside her. It was like fire.

She panted and pulled away and stared at him. His eyes were glazed over as he kissed her again and started unbuttoning her shirt. He yanked it off her arms and tossed it away. He leaned down and started sucking and biting on her neck, making her moan. He worked on unbuttoning in her pants, and she kicked her boots off. He yanked her pants down and pulled them off her feet. He grabbed her and pulled her down to the floor and laid on top of her.

"Peeta," she gasped as he wrapped her legs around his waist.

"I want you so bad," Peeta groaned and started biting at her neck, and started rocking against her body in the most delicious way. That hunger in her belly was starving. She wanted to feel his hands all over her body. And she was throbbing against him. Every time he pushed himself into her, she felt like she could orgasm right then. She felt how hard he was. She had just felt it in her hand. But she was almost positive it was even bigger right now.

This was exciting. It was rough. And she liked it. He was dominating. And…she loved it.

All of a sudden, she felt him take her hands, link them together, and then hold them above her head. She gasped as she stared at him. His face mere inches from each other. The both of them panting. Her body was on fire.

"I can't control myself when I'm with you," he panted. Katniss smiled.

"Really?" she whispered. He nodded his head.

"All day long you're all I think about. I've been waiting all this time to be here with you. Exploring everything in our relationship. Especially this," he leaned down and kissed her, biting and pulling on her lower lip and thrust down making her groan.

It was fast and furious and all they wanted to do was have an orgasm. He wouldn't release her hands until he collapsed, panting. Peeta made her feel hot. He excited her. He made her feel alive. He made her feel things she didn't understand.

They ended up laying down after that. They got dressed again because they never knew when Johanna was coming back. He had been so wound up when Katniss ran off. He wanted to make her tell him what she was hiding. And then he had a nightmare. But then she touched him. Like really touched him. And when he started tearing off her clothing, it took everything inside him not to rip everything strip of clothing off of her and plunge himself inside her.

He really needed to get that out of his head and just stop thinking like that. They were nowhere near ready to be that intimate.

They were in the bed facing each other. Her face was buried in his neck, and he was rubbing her back. "What happened today?" Peeta asked her softly. He felt her tense a little.

"Katniss it's just me. You can trust me with this," Peeta said. she didn't say anything.

"Please? Will you tell me?" he asked her softly.

"I can't tell anyone. Not until the last minute," she whispered. He let out a sigh. He knew Katniss well enough, that asking her a second time was useless. She answered him calmly now, but if he kept harping on her, she'd explode on him and never tell him out of spite. So, he relented on the first try.

"I wish you'd change your mind. And if you do…you can tell me anything," Peeta told her. She nodded her head and squeezed him tighter.

They stayed like that until dinner and started walking over to the cafeteria. Ryee came running up to them.

"Oh my God. You have got to talk to Johanna about me. I think I'm in love," Ryee said. Katniss and Peeta looked at him, surprised. It made both of them smile. It was exactly what they needed from this difficult day.

"You're in love? With Johanna?" Peeta asked.

"Oh, heck yeah. That girl is my kinda woman. She's hot. She's sarcastic. She's bitchy. She's hot. She's hilarious. She lives in the lumber District. I love wood. And her body is amazing. She was meant to be with me," he told them. Katniss laughed.

"Yeah, I don't think you could handle Johanna," Katniss chuckled. Peeta looked at her. She was smiling. She was joking. He interlocked their hands together, and she smiled at him.

"Oh, I could handle her. That girl is my soulmate," Ryee said. The two of them laughed again.

"Your soulmate huh? Have you even had a conversation with her? You don't even know her," Peeta said. Both Katniss and Ryee stopped, and just looked at him. Peeta realized it suddenly and blushed.

"I have never heard you sound more of a hypocrite in your whole life, then right now," Ryee said. Katniss laughed.

"Well…I…Oh be quiet both of you," Peeta rolled his eyes and kept walking.

"You have to talk to her for me. I'm in love with her," Ryee said.

"I think your brothers rubbing off on you," Katniss joked.

"So, are you gonna do it?" Ryee asked. Peeta and Katniss looked at each other.

"I'll do my best," Peeta said. Ryee smiled and smacked his shoulder.

"Thanks bro. I gotta get out of here. My arm says something about learning how to put together a gun. I just wanna build something with wood," Ryee said and ran off.

"He's really odd," Katniss chuckled. Peeta laughed, watching him run off.

"Yeah. He'll make you laugh, that's for sure," Peeta said as they got to the cafeteria. They got their food and headed to the corner of the cafeteria. So many Victors were there. Rue waved them over, and Katniss and Peeta went over to her spot at the table.

"You just missed my mom and dad. My moms really excited to see you guys again," Rue told them. Finnick walked by and ruffled Rue's hair and sat next to her.

"Hello cutie," Finnick said and kissed Rue's cheek, making her laugh. Annie sat on Finnick's other side.

"I'm so happy that you two are back with us again. You guys just make our little big family complete," Annie said as she wrapped her arms around Finnick's arm. He just smiled and started plowing into his food.

Peeta and Katniss liked seeing Annie that happy. She deserved to be happy.

"Crazy pants is confused. Little and big are polar opposites," Johanna said as she sat down next to Annie.

"Katniss, Katniss look!" Posy yelled as she went running up to her. Posy closed her eyes and showed Katniss her gold eye liner. "Cinna put it on me," she said, hugging her tightly. She loved hugging this little girl. One of the things that Katniss missed, when she turned her back on Gale, was Posy.

"Well, you look beautiful. But you always look beautiful," Katniss said. Katniss noticed all their group started coming over to the tables all in the corner. It was weird seeing such a mix matched group. Madge sitting with Prim, Rory and Rue. Posy talking with Cinna. Gale sitting next to Peeta's brother Wheet, Thresh and his sister. Finnick sitting next to Rue. Effie and Portia sitting with her mom and Hazelle. It was relaxing to see them.

"You thinking what I'm thinking looking around at everyone?" Peeta asked. Katniss nodded her head.

"Makes me feel like an idiot to not have realized what's been going on for two months. Everyone's friends," Katniss said. Peeta nudged her shoulder with his.

"You shouldn't feel like an idiot. No one thinks you are. Everyone goes through this. It's harder for some. But you have all these people around who care about you. And we'll all get you through it. Just like we'll be there for them when they're going through it," Peeta said.

He was right. It still didn't make her feel better though. She was always so self-absorbed in her own life. She never noticed what the rest of them needed. She wanted to be better about that. But in all honesty, she just wanted to be better. Feel better. Mentally. She felt like she couldn't handle anyone else's problems. Which just made her feel worse. After everything they'd all done for her.

They had been sitting there for a while. Katniss tried to keep up with the conversations, but she just couldn't keep her eyes opened.

"Hey, you wanna go back to our compartment?" Peeta whispered. She nodded her head. They said goodbye and walked out of the cafeteria.

"I swear to God. It's like living with an old married couple. They go to sleep so damn early. We haven't even had a late-night party yet," Johanna complained.

"You do realize you've only been roommates for 24 hours, right?" Finnick asked.

Peeta and Katniss were walking back when a voice made Katniss stop. A chill went up her spine. Peeta stared at her oddly.

"What's wrong?" Peeta asked. She started shaking and Peeta turned his head. His eyes widened a little. He could hear Marvel and Glimmer's laugh. It was them. Marvel, Glimmer, Clove and Cato.

"It's ok Katniss. They won't hurt you. We're not in the arena anymore," Peeta told her. Katniss gulped the moment they made eye contact with them. The four of them stopped and stared at her. The hall was dead quiet. The tension was thick. Clove crossed her arms and started walking forward. The others waited for a moment before they followed. Katniss couldn't see the others, but all she saw was Clove. She stopped in front of Katniss. Peeta was waiting to step in if she tried anything.

"Well. Look who finally decided to show her face around here. The nut case finally decided to stop feeling sorry for herself and- "she never got to finish that sentence, because Katniss back handed her. The others were shocked. No one moved. No one said anything. Peeta didn't even think they were breathing.

"I am NOT a nut case. You have no idea what it's like to go through the Hunger Games. You got to run around and kill some kids. Big freaken deal. I'm the one who survived. I'm the one that had to fight. I'm the Victor. I'm the Victor of two God damned arenas so do NOT stand there and call me a nut case. You're not a Victor. You're a tribute who's standing here today because of ME!" Katniss yelled, towering over her. Peeta let her do it. He wasn't going to stop her.

"You owe me a thank you! You're alive because of me. You have no idea what a Victors life is like. Why don't you go talk to your good ole mentors. District 2 has plenty of Victors. Brutus, Enobaria, Lyme, Blade, Bandit, Emma, Fiona, Pebbles, or Stella. Pick any of them. You go talk to them and see how their lives as Victors turned out. Be thankful you lost. Otherwise, you'd be in the Capitol right now getting prostituted out to the highest bidder Snow could find, and then they got to have sex with you. And if you refused, then he'd kill your whole family," Katniss said. Clove scoffed and Katniss grabbed her chin and yanked into her own face.

"You have no idea the life of a Victor. Snow doesn't care what District you're from. District 2 doesn't matter to him. He makes you think he cares. But you're nothing but a puppet to him,"

"You should go ask Brutus if he's finally met his children yet," Peeta said. Katniss wanted to look at him and ask him about that, but she had been through four arenas. Her instincts were to on point. If she looked to Peeta, Clove would take her out.

"Let go of me," Clove said, and Katniss shoved her backwards into Cato, who held her back from running after Katniss.

"You ever come near me again, and I will kill you. I killed all three of your friends here. Twice. I don't mind doing it a third time," Katniss sneered through her teeth. Peeta pushed her back.

"Don't let her get to you, ok?" Peeta told her.

"Katniss and her faithful lap dog," Clove taunted him. Katniss went to lunge at her, but Peeta caught her and held on to her while she was thrashing around. Clove was laughing but was still trying to get away from Cato.

"What the hell is going on now?" Haymitch said as he came around the corner and got in the middle of all of them. Finnick, Johanna, Gale and Madge were running up at the same time.

"Katniss has her little pet following her around everywhere she goes. Looking for scraps. Just like a good lap dog," Clove mocked her. Katniss was fighting even harder now.

"Oh, I'd let her go," Johanna said. Finnick helped Peeta keep Katniss back.

"Don't you EVER call him that. You have no idea who Peeta is. Do you know how many girls would be lucky to have him? You're so fucking jealous that I have someone who saved my life in the arena, instead of letting you die like Cato did!" she screamed at him.

"He's a pathetic little boy who has a crush on you and you can't even shake him off," Clove screamed at her.

"Oh, that's it," Johanna sat down and started untying her boots.

"Where are you getting your information from? She's not trying to shake him off," Haymitch said, annoyed at her.

"She would be dead right now if it wasn't for everyone always saving her. She never did anything by herself. And he's pathetic. You two are disgusting!" Clove screamed at her.

"Johanna what are you doing?" Madge asked as Johanna hopped up. Madge grabbed her arm and tried to pull her back, but Gale grabbed her other arm.

"What is this? Girls gone wild?" Finnick laughed.

"I'm gonna kick her little ass. You wanna mess with the big girls? Your little knives are child's toys. We play with real weapons. And we ARE Victors. We won these damn Games. So come at me you little bitch. I'll snap you like a fucking twig with my BARE HANDS!" Johanna yelled. People were starting to come down the hall to see what all the screaming was about. Cinna and Librae got to the group first.

"What's going on?" Cinna asked. Haymitch looked at Cato.

"Can't you get her out of here before these two kill her?" Haymitch asked. Peeta had noticed that Cato, Marvel and Glimmer hadn't said one word. They had stopped laughing as soon as they saw Katniss and Peeta. And they hadn't shown a single emotion since.

"Oh please. They think they're all big and tough. You wouldn't stand a chance with me. And I'd break your little boy toy. He's pathetic the way he follows you around," Clove didn't get to yell anything else.

It was like Katniss and Johanna planned it. Katniss bit Peeta's arm, making him loosen his grip and surprised Finnick. Johanna had kneed Gale enough in the crotch for him to also loosen his grip. No one could stop Katniss and Johanna as they flew at Clove. Cato fell back with Clove. Katniss landed on top of them, and she punched Clove right in the face.

"DON'T YOU EVER SAY THAT ABOUT PEETA AGAIN!" Katniss screamed as Johanna held her hand down so she couldn't fight back. All the guys hauled Katniss and Johanna up and away from Clove.

"Nine people died in the bloodbath," Librae said, slipping into his Game.

"Get her out of here!" Haymitch told Marvel, who helped Cato with getting Clove out of the hallway. "Why are you freaking out on her?" Haymitch asked. Finnick laughed.

"I'd like to know more why Johanna's freaking out?" Finnick asked. Katniss just let angry tears spill down her cheeks. Peeta knew that she couldn't come up with a normal reason. None of her reactions were normal. Her latest episode took way too much out of her.

"Come on. It's ok," Peeta said as he took Katniss down the hall and back to their compartment. He watched as she paced. Asking Katniss to explain what just happened…there was no way for her to explain. She wasn't in her right frame of mind. She hadn't been for a really long time.

"You're not my lap dog. Please don't think that," Katniss sobbed. He went over and hugged her tightly.

"I don't listen to anything Clove says. Katniss is that what you're worried about? About what I think about what Clove said?" he asked her. He looked at her sadly and wrapped his arms around her.

"I know it's hard for you to ignore her. But please just know, that I do. I don't care about anything that she said. All I care about is you. I just need for you to be ok," he told her as he kissed the side of her temple. Katniss was getting worse and worse. He was scared for her mental state. He refused to let her be that Victor that loses her mind.

He ended up getting her to lay down. He sat up a little while she laid on his chest until she fell asleep. By the time Johanna came in, Katniss was completely gone. "She ok?" Johanna asked as she started taking her clothes off. No shame at all.

"Not really," Peeta said as he kept his eyes closed, waiting for Johanna to be fully dressed again. He supposed a small shirt and her underwear was the best he was going to get. She went and sat on her bed across from them.

"Why did you go after her?" Peeta asked.

"Oh, that first time in the Games, she mouthed off to me before the Chariot Ride. I've been dying to slap her," Johanna said.

The next morning wasn't a happy one. They had to convince Coin to not make Katniss do some stupid propo. They had to convince her to let her go to District 8.

So, they all met in Command. Peeta, Katniss, Coin, Plutarch, Haymitch, Effie, Boggs, Cinna, Finnick, Gale, Johanna, Portia, and Beetee.

"Madam President. You don't know Katniss like we do. And I'm gonna be brutally honest. She's a terrible actress," Haymitch said. Katniss rolled her eyes, while a couple of them laugh.

"You give her lines; she has no personality for them. It will sound dead and lifeless," Haymitch said.

"I think they've gotten it," Katniss said dryly. Haymitch smiled at her. He stood up and got in front of the board, wiping everything off.

"Alright. I want everyone to think of one incident where Katniss Everdeen genuinely moved you. Not where you were jealous of her hairstyle, or her dress went up in flames or made a halfway decent shot with an arrow. And not where Peeta was making you like her," Haymitch said. Peeta looked at her, and he moved his hand under the table and squeezed her hand. "I want to hear of a moment where she made you guys feel something. Something real,"

"Where it all started. When she volunteered for Prim. To save her," Gale instantly said. Katniss put her head down and looked at the table.

"Alright that's excellent," Haymitch said and wrote it up where everyone could see.

"When she talked about Prim on stage with Caesar," Beetee said. Everyone looked at him. "It was genuine. She wasn't saying she was winning for her District. She was winning to get back to her little sister. She made Prim a promise," Beetee said. Katniss refused to look up. She felt her chin quivering.

"When she became allies with Rue," Finnick offered.

"No one in the Games teams up with 12-year-old little girls. They're dead weight. They'll get you killed. But she didn't follow the normal rules. She went with her," Johanna said.

"When she tried to save Rue. And when she held her and sang to her. She wasn't in the Games. She was with her sister. She was with Rue. And she was saying goodbye to one of her sisters," Cinna said. Katniss put her hand over her eyes, digging into them to stop from crying. Peeta removed his hand from hers to put it on her back and rubbed it up and down and used his other hand to reach back over and hold her hand.

"And the flowers. She needed to give her a proper goodbye. For Rue. For her family. To honor her," Portia said.

"When she pulled out the berries to save us," Peeta said.

"When she spoke to District 11. She gave them the respect of losing one of their children. The three-finger hand salute that we use. She used it for them. And she acknowledged their loss. And when 11 sent the bread…she thanked them," Gale said. Haymitch was writing all this down.

"When she heard the rule change, she called out Peeta's name. And she went looking for him the second that she could," Cinna said.

"The way she took care of me," Peeta said. Everyone looked at him. "She wasn't just taking care of me for the Games. She was taking care of me because she cared about me. She risked her life to save me by going to the Feast to get my medicine. She asked Haymitch for help her in order to get her there without me interfering," Peeta said. Katniss still wouldn't look up.

"On the Victory Tour. Her speech to Rue and Thresh's families. And then she leapt off stage to stop the Peacekeepers from hurting the man that whistled," Boggs said.

"When she declared that she was the Mockingjay. Gave you goosebumps," Cinna said.

"Trying to carry Mags in the fog," Finnick said. They all looked at him. "Trying to save someone, when only one person could win…she couldn't bear to let Mags die," Finnick said, looking at his hands.

"She was worried about how Finnick was handling all his friends dying," Johanna said.

"When I gave her the pearl," Peeta said, running his hand over her head.

"When she had to leave Peeta," Haymitch said. Katniss used her other hand to cover her face. She let a small sob out from her throat. Why were they going in such detail this time.

"She begged Finnick to keep him safe," Haymitch told her. Katniss pushed her chair out.

"I can't listen to this anymore. Haymitch is right. I don't do scripted lines," Katniss said as she burst out the door, with Peeta following her. He caught up to her and spun her around.

"Hey, it's ok," Peeta told her.

"Why are they going through all of that again? They didn't say all that last time?" Katniss asked.

"I don't know what they said last time. But why does it make you upset? Everything they said was nice. It was true," Peeta said. She pulled back and wiped her face. Peeta felt helpless. When was it all gonna be over for her?

But she still didn't understand the effect she had on people. These things that she did, it moved everyone. It's just her. Everything about her, effects people.

They went and met up with Beetee for some last-minute weapon checks. He added little things here and there not only to their weapons, but their uniforms.

"How does that feel?" Beetee asked Peeta. He used his gun which had self-targeting. He nodded his head.

"It's good. Hopefully, I won't need it," Peeta told him. Katniss was looking over her arrows.

"Katniss," Beetee said. Katniss looked up at him. He was looking down at his hands, fidgeting.

"I'm sorry I let you down," Beetee said. Peeta turned around. Peeta knew, that Katniss knew what Beetee was talking about. Haymitch had told them.

When Beetee got back to District 3, he took Prim's death awfully hard. He went about building things, that had he had a chance to go back and do things differently to save her, he would.

"You didn't," Katniss told him, but Beetee shook his head.

"I built those bombs. I knew they were going out, but I didn't know when or how they were to be used. I never meant for Prim to lose her life because of something I built. I'm so sorry. It's why I never called you. I'm ashamed- "Beetee didn't have a chance to finish, because Katniss lunged at him and threw her arms around him, hugging him. Katniss let out a sob as she hugged him.

Beetee looked at Peeta, but then ended up wrapping his arms around her.

"Please don't say you're sorry. It wasn't your fault. And so many people wouldn't be here right now without all your inventions," Katniss told him. Peeta smiled sadly.

Katniss again, didn't understand the effect she had on anyone. Her love for Prim effected people. Beetee knew her. He saw it up close how much Katniss loved Prim. And losing her by something he built…he could only imagine the pain it caused Beetee.

He looked over to Gale who was working with Finnick. He truly wondered how Gale had handled all this. He at least got to be with Prim for the last year. But had he started to heal from Prim dying?

"I'm sorry I can't leave the hovercraft and go out there with you," Peeta said sadly as they buckled up. However, they were sneaking into the real hospital beforehand. But then when then bombers came, and when she has to make a speech, he couldn't be with her. It was a risk sneaking him into the hospital. But Peeta wanted to go so badly.

"It's ok. I get why we have to keep you hidden. I just wish these next couple of days were over," Katniss said as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

They had to go back to their own District tomorrow and reminisce what District 12 used to look like. Walk around in the rubble of what was left of their home. He never truly saw what it looked like last time. He saw some video footage. And then when he came back home after the war, he walked through it. But Haymitch took him around the worst part of it, so he didn't see it. And he never even really looked around anyway. He would truly see it now.

He shook his head. He needed to focus on District 8 right now. And he needed to focus on Katniss, who looked green.

"You're gonna be ok. Everyone in the hospital is underground. They won't be hurt by the bombing. And more people survived because they knew about the bombing in the first place and had way more medical supplies. No one's even going to be in there," Peeta said.

"Yeah. I know," Katniss said. There wasn't anything that he could really say to make her feel better.

Before they knew it, they were in District 8. Everyone was talking, but Katniss wasn't listening. She didn't want to listen. She had to do this all over again. But now, she had to fake seeing people. They weren't there. Of course, Snow didn't know that. He thought so many wounded people were seeking medical attention there.

She felt a hand shake her shoulder. She looked back to Peeta.

"The rebels have control of the cameras over here. Come on," Peeta said as they snuck it. Last time Haymitch didn't leave the hovercraft. But this time he did as Paylor snuck them down into the underground, away from where the hospital was before.

There were a lot of wounded people. Peeta's mouth fell open a little as he looked around.

"It's just not right," Finnick said. Peeta took Katniss' hand and led the way. Haymitch, Finnick, Johanna and Gale were to follow as the wandered through the crowd.

"Katniss?" someone said. They looked around to see a little girl.

"Peeta?" another voice said. The voices called Haymitch, Finnick, and even Gale.

"You guys are really here," a young man said. Peeta thought the kid had to be his age. He was pretty banged up, with a bandage over his eye, and a machine gun slung over his shoulder. Peeta gulped. It was so wrong to see a kid like that. Hell, he was that kid as well. Although he stopped feeling like a kid the moment his name was called.

"I thought you had been captured," a woman said. Peeta shook his head.

"No. That wasn't me. Snow wanted people to think it was. He thinks that Johanna and I are dead," Peeta said. Johanna went and sat down with two little kids clinging to each other, and softly started talking to them. Haymitch held an elderly woman's hand. And Finnick, the charmer that he is, started hugging some of the women.

"Are you guys here to fight with us?" someone asked. Katniss let tears fall from her face. Peeta looked around in awe. He didn't experience this last time. It was humbling. His District was ok. The other Districts didn't fare as well as they did. His family was safe. Peeta cleared his throat.

"Yes. We are here to fight with you," Peeta said, and squeezed her hand. She looked over at him and she smiled.

"Is the baby ok?" a woman asked. Katniss and Peeta looked over at them.

"Katniss actually wasn't ever pregnant," Peeta said. There were a few gasps. "It was a lie that we were telling the Capitol. We were saying anything to get them to force Snow to cancel the Games. We're sorry if that lie hurt any of you," Peeta told them. Everyone was listening to Peeta speak.

"Then are you guys even together?" another voice asked. He felt Katniss tense.

"So much of our relationship is on display for the Capitol. They forced us to be this couple that we're not. But we are together. And Katniss and I get to be together, any way we want now,"

"Are you really married?" Peeta shook his head.

"No. That's our decision to make now. The Capitol won't force Katniss and I to do anything anymore," Peeta told them. He was worried about what telling them the truth would mean.

"Then are you even in love?" another person asked. Peeta looked at Katniss, and he smiled softly. She leaned into him a little, and he turned back.

"The over the top in love, like giggling and Katniss calling me honey…that isn't us. But we are in love. And it's ours. Not theirs anymore," Peeta said. He caught Gale's eye for a moment as he turned and walked back towards Boggs.

"Snows dedicated his life to torturing the Victor's. Making us into people that we're not," Peeta said.

"But we all have a role to play," Katniss said sadly. Peeta nodded.

"I hope you'll let all the Victor's introduce themselves to you. The real us," Peeta said.

Someone whistled and then held up their three fingers. Peeta, Katniss, Haymitch and Gale were the first four to raise their fingers. It was surreal to see the Victors raise their fingers as well. Their whole team did. It made Peeta proud to be able to fight this time around. He never had a chance to. And he was honored to stand here with District 8.

"You gonna be ok?" he asked her as they got back to the hovercraft and went to the opposite side of District 8. She sadly scoffed.

"Even if I'm not, I don't exactly get a choice," Katniss said. Peeta leaned forward and kissed her lips.

"I'll be here when you get back," Peeta said, and watched as they left. He sat next to Haymitch. "When will she ever get a break?" Peeta asked.

"Soon,"

"Not soon enough though. I'm worried about her. I'm worried about her mental state," Peeta said and looked at him.

"Me to. You just gotta convince her to start talking with Cenia. She's already helped a lot of us," Haymitch said. Peeta raised an eyebrow.

"The first words that are gonna come out of Katniss's mouth is calling me a hypocrite that I want her to talk to Cenia, but I don't do it myself. So, before she can say it, I already have been seeing her. Katniss can't use it as an excuse," Haymitch grumbled. Peeta smiled.

"Has she really helped you?" Peeta asked. Haymitch shrugged.

"You can't just fix 25 years in a little under three months. But she's good to talk to," Haymitch admitted.

They met up with Paylor, again, and then walked into where the hospital was. They stood there, waiting before they could move. The building was a temporary makeshift hospital at first. But they had been moved into the tunnels, and some were moved to District 13 for better hospitalization.

Katniss looked around. She closed her eyes and remembered what it was like. She just wanted to help them. Katniss was no one special. She was just like them. They were fighting. Really fighting. She was dressing up and pretending to fight. These were the real heroes. And Snow just killed them.

He killed them all. Just because she had walked in and visited them. She covered her face with her hands. Over 2,000 people just died because of her. All of this, just because she wanted to save her sister.

"Peeta talk to her," Boggs said into his earpiece.

"Katniss," Peeta said. She shook her head.

"I just let them die," Katniss cried. Finnick and Gale were the first ones to reach her.

"Katniss look at me," Finnick said, and pulled her hands away from her face. "Katniss listen to me. They're all safe. They're not going to be bombed. They're still alive," Finnick said. But she shook her head.

"It was my fault that they died," Katniss cried.

"Katniss no it wasn't. He made you think that. All of those people stood up and wanted to fight. They fought for Panem's freedom. Snow wanted you to think that you were the cause of all this. Stop letting him inside your head," Gale said. Katniss snapped her head over to him.

Peeta and Haymitch looked at each other.

Katniss started grabbing her hair. Was she hearing Snow's voice again?

"Finnick, get her out of there," Peeta said. Finnick wrapped his arms around her, and Paylor led them outside to where they needed to be to shoot the Capitol Hovercrafts down.

"Katniss you gotta calm down. It's ok. Everyone's ok. It's all going to plan," Finnick said. Katniss shook her head.

"They're all gonna die. All because I walked in there," she sobbed. Finnick looked at the group. They heard the shooting start. Gale went over and grabbed her arm and made her look at him.

"They're coming. I need you to help me. I need you to go out to the roof and help me shoot them down. We need to do this for them. We need to do this for District 8. And I can't do it by myself!" Gale said. Katniss was shaking, but she nodded.

"Good. That's good. Come on. We'll be right there with you," Finnick said as he took her other arm and guided her. Everyone followed Gale, and they got into positions. Katniss' hands were shaking.

"Just shoot straight Katniss," she heard Peeta say into her ear.

"I got your back if you need me," Finnick said.

"She'll do just fine," Gale said, without looking at either of them. Just up at the sky waiting to shoot. Peeta smiled. She needed to hear that.

They watched as they blew up the hospital. Katniss, Gale, and Finnick each shot their arrows, hitting the hovercrafts. They crashed onto the ground, catching on fire. Katniss ran over to try and get to the hospital, but Gale stopped her.

"Please help them," she sobbed. But Gale held her tight against his chest and leaned into her ear.

"They're not there Katniss. They're all safe," Gale told her. But she continued to sob.

"Go ask her now," Boggs told Cressida. She ran up to Katniss and Gale.

"Katniss, talk to me. Look into the cameras and tell us what's happening. Tell Panem about what Snow did," Cressida said. But Katniss just sobbed.

"Katniss come on. I need you to focus. No one died here today. They're safe. But I need you to tell Panem what Snow did to District 8. Just like last time," Peeta said. Finnick got in front of her and held her cheeks in his hands.

"Katniss focus. You can do this. I'll help you," Finnick said. Johanna leaned forward and to talk into Peeta's mic.

"Brainless get off your ass and stop crying. No one was in that damn hospital. Don't let that bastard get away with what he did last time. Hold in all that anger and yell at the fucking camera. Make him fucking pay for what he did last time. Don't let him win," Johanna said.

Katniss sagged against Gale a little, still softly crying. She locked eyes with Finnick, and he smiled.

"Come on Katniss. You can do this," Peeta said.

"Come on honey. Stand up. You got this," Finnick said. Gale let her go, but the two of them didn't leave her side.

"Look right into the camera and yell it out," Cressida told her. They all watched her, as her face slowly started to change from sobbing, to anger. Finnick and Gale panted, looking back and forth at the wreckage.

"I want the Rebels to know that I'm alive. That I made it out of the arena," Katniss yelled. She was trying to catch her breath.

"Keep going," Haymitch told her.

"And I'm in District 8. Where the Capitol…where President Snow has just bombed a hospital full of unarmed men, women, and children. And there will be no survivors," Katniss cried, getting choked up. She became angrier.

"If you think for one second that the Capitol will treat us fairly, you're lying to yourselves. You're deluding yourselves. If you think they'll take care of us after a cease-fire, you are wrong! Because we know who they are, and what they do!" She screamed. She pointed behind her. "THIS IS WHAT THEY DO"!

"They bombed District 13 years ago! They've burnt my District to the ground. They've bombed District 8. And you all know they've bombed parts of each and every one of your Districts!" she cried out. She swayed a little on her feet, and Finnick put his hand on her shoulder.

"She's starting to fade," Boggs whispered.

"I think she's gonna faint," Messalla whispered.

"President Snow says he's sending a message, to anyone that has anything to do with me. Well, I have a message for President Snow. You can torture us and bomb us and burn our districts to the ground. But do you see that?" she asked, pointing behind her to the Capitol symbol poking through the fire on the hovercraft.

"FIRE IS CATCHING!" Katniss yelled, swaying again.

"She's almost done for," Boggs said.

"Finnick help her," Haymitch said. Finnick put his hands on her hips.

"AND IF WE BURN!" Finnick yelled.

"YOU BURN WITH US!" Katniss and Finnick yelled. Cressida yelled cut, and then Katniss fainted.