Katniss's POV

Peeta plunges through the stage, disappearing from my sight. My breath catches in my throat for a moment, before loudly choking out his name.

"Peeta!"

I stumble up the stairs and rush over to the splintered hole he created. I lean over and peer down into the eerie darkness beneath the stage. Peeta's body lays sprawled out on the floor, his limbs bent in odd angles. His tangled blond curls spread out in a halo about his head. Once again, my throat closes in. I can't breathe. A tiny, terrified whimper escapes me.

Attempting something incredibly insane, I whip my legs around and lower myself far down into the hole before dropping to the concrete floor below. The impact hurts, but not that bad.

Terror consumes me as I approach Peeta. He fell on top of some cardboard boxes, completely collapsing them inward.

"Oh my God, Peeta. Peeta," I sink to my knees beside him, tears flooding down my face and blinding my vision. I press my wet cheek to his chest. His heart still thumps quietly. I delicately lift his head, discovering the back of it soaking wet with dark blood. I place his head in my lap.

Oh no. No... this cannot be happening...

"K-Katniss," his body slightly shifts in my arms, his broken voice hardly audible.

"Peeta. You'll be okay... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." My body racks with horrible sobs. I don't know the damage that's been done to him. He's clearly suffered a concussion... but I don't know about broken bones or internal bleeding...

What if he dies here?

"No... no, you must be okay," I plead. I can't do this without him. I cannot bear living without him. He is my anchor. Peeta Mellark is mine and I am his. We protect each other-we survive together.

Guilt and sorrow slam over me in catastrophic waves. I'm a selfish, pathetic person. When all along he knew that he loved me, and only now, when he's here lying half-dead, do I finally realize the same.

Blinded with anger towards myself and sheer determination to keep him alive, I pull off my jacket and yank my shirt over my head. Taking the bottom half, I rip it horizontally. As gently as I can, I lift his blond, bloody head and wrap the shirt remains around it. My fingers travel down his strong jaw to around his neck, feeling for signs of fractured vertebrates. As far as I can tell, his neck isn't broken. Good. Hopefully, he's at least not paralyzed.

"Peeta... I'm going to need to flip you over," I tell him quietly, although he's already passed out again. Still using my thigh to support his head, I push his right shoulder forward. A wounded mix between a grunt and a moan issues from his lips.

"I'm sorry, I know it hurts," I say apologetically, grazing my fingers over his back and down his upper arm. He's definitely broken something there. It will be difficult to create a sling for a break so high up, but I will try.

In the distance, I hear a rumble. My head jerks up towards the dim light from the hole.

The hovercrafts.

Are they still searching? Did they see us enter the theater? We have decent protection down here if they are still looking... that is, unless they start recklessly bombing the ruins. I shut my eyes, sucking in a breath.

If that happens, I die here with Peeta.

My hand strokes his cheek, powdered with dust from the fall. My eyes search the dark, cell-like area around us, trying to find the most comfortable place to put him. I grab our supplies bag and remove the pair of sleeping bags. Rolling up one, I slide it under Peeta's head. I push aside some cardboard boxes, but decide to keep the flattened ones under Peeta, for they offer some cushioning compared to the stiff floor.

I check the rest of Peeta's body to make sure nothing else is injured. Flourishing bruises speckle his lower back, and he cut his elbow fairly deep. I bandage up what I can. I'm sure how else to help him, other than hoping he can immediately rest so he will begin to heal. I lay on my side beside him.

My plan is a complete failure. I have no idea how Peeta and I will get to Thirteen quick enough to help my family and the others; and there's no way in hell I'm leaving him. A painful feeling builds up in the back of my throat, and the tears begin gushing again.

The Capitol could have slaughtered them all, and I wouldn't even know.

Why did I leave them? I was completely stupid to think it was better for us to split up. And now Peeta...is badly injured. I bite my lip, gazing over at him.

How is it that I nearly lost him?

I weave a hand through his hair, caked with dirt and blood. I press my lips to his warm forehead, to his cheeks, and finally his mouth.

"Hey," he mumbles against my lips. I lean back, staring into his sapphire eyes, clouded over with pain and exhaustion.

"Hi... how are you feeling?" I ask, gingerly touching the wound at the back of his head.

"I'm... okay. How... did you... get down here?" he gets out through shattered breaths.

"Um... I jumped," I confess. "I had to get to you."

"Wow... well you've always been more athletic than me... makes sense that I ended up... like this," he softly laughs. He response initiates a brilliant, warm sensation within me. Just a few moments ago he nearly fell to his death, and he's already joking about it. I mold my lips to his, our mouths moving in powerful unison. I try to be gentle, soon breaking away so he can come up for air.

"Katniss... was that real?" He quietly wonders, a hopeful expression on his face. I give him a small smile, nodding.

"Yes... it was."

"Well, then give me another," He cracks a grin. My eyes brim with tears and I laugh, kissing him again. His hand, trembling slightly, caresses my neck. I reach up and clasp it tight.

"Peeta... I'm going to need to position your arm. I think it's broken," I explain, gesturing to his right shoulder. He nods. I sit up and grab a cardboard box. I tear off a fold and bend it over.

"Okay, this might hurt a little," I tell him regrettably, taking his arm. He tries to suppress a groan as I position his arm against the cardboard. I quickly rip off the sleeve of my shirt and tie it across him, slipping his arm through. I glance up to see his face ghostly white and gleaming with sweat.

"Shhh, I'm sorry," I try to console him as I tie a knot to hold his injured limb in place. I carefully ease him onto the ground again.

"Katniss... you can still get to Thirteen on time... I'll be okay here..." he tells me, his eyes studying my face. I stare at him like his suggestion is the most absurd thing I've ever heard.

"No. I'm not going anywhere. You'll never survive by yourself like this. I don't even know if-if you can stand," My voice shakes as I mention that last part.

Peeta reaches out his left hand and grips mine own with all of his strength.

"This is why you're better off leaving without me. Your family-they may still be alive. You can help them," he insists, his thumb rubbing calming circles against my palm. I firmly shake my head. I won't budge on this. Besides, he's wrong... they're most likely gone. He might be the only person I have left... the only person left that I love.

"How about you get some rest now?" I settle down beside him, trying to hide my face in his chest so he won't see me break down again. His shirt muffles my quiet sobs. What a hot mess I am.

Some time later, I groggily wake up to find Peeta shifting beside me. I place my arm over him.

"No... you're not strong enough to move yet," I stubbornly force him back to the ground as gently as I can.

"Katniss, I just want see if I can stand," he chuckles. I purse my lips, but finally give in. I take my arm and slip it underneath his uninjured shoulder to support him. In one push, I try to transition him to his feet. Peeta wobbles for a moment, before crashing to his knees. His face suddenly turns gaunt.

"Oh God, are you okay?" I ask desperately, lowering him back down onto the cardboard. He slightly moves his head in a "yes," but I'm positive he's lying.

"Peeta, what hurts?"

"I'm f-fine... just my head..." He rests a hand over his eyes, trying to steady his breathing. I open up the bag and take out a bottle where we stored some water from the last creek we visited. Holding it up to his lips, I allow him to swallow some down. I then cup my hand and pour a little in my palm to wash over his face.

"Katniss... drink some water, too. Don't waste it all on me," he demands, pushing my hand with the bottle away from him. Just to make him happy, I slurp some down. Soon enough, Peeta begins dozing off again. I arrange what's left of our food for dinner should he be hungry when he wakes.

Gathering up all of my courage, I wander around the cell to find a set of stairs leading to the main level. They are rickety, but seem to be holding up well enough when I test out a few steps. When food and water become scarce, I will have to venture out to find some.

I head back to Peeta to find his bandages soaked red. My shirt is in shreds-so I guess I'll need to destroy my tank top. Shivering, I slip it off and tear it into pieces, wrapping it around his head and arm. After changing his bandages, I lay down and try to rest. I'm sure we're concealed enough here that I won't need to take watch...

I open my eyes uneasily, feeling someone's fingers brush across me. It's Peeta. He's slowly zipping up my jacket.

"Sorry, but you're teeth were chattering," he whispers, reaching up to stroke my cheek. I give him a sleepy smile.

"Thank you. I should get the other sleeping bag out for us," I murmur, reaching below my feet to grab it. It's too narrow to fit us both inside, so I drape it over us.

"Ah, almost like the old cave," Peeta reminisces, and I can hear him grinning. I laugh softly, nuzzling closer to him.

A/N: Hopefully you guys are enjoying everything so far! Sorry to leave ya on a cliffhanger last chapter ;). I also hope I handled Finnick and Annie's chapter well, let me know in the reviews! I appreciate helpful criticism.