A/N: Canon-typical violence depicted.

KATNISS POV

My second reaping as a mentor was no easier than my first. I was still terrified of Prim, who was now fourteen, getting reaped, with now six slips of paper in the glass bowl - one for the year she turned twelve, two for the year she turned thirteen and now three for this year. Since this was the reaping for the 76th Hunger Games, there was nothing spectacular about this one. Gale's youngest brother was now of reaping age, too, having turned twelve that year, and I hoped against hope that I wouldn't have to mentor him. He was so young, and twelve-year-olds might as well have a zero percent chance of winning the Games. If Vick was reaped, I couldn't save him, and Gale would hate me more than he already did.

Our prep teams arrived early to, once again, prep myself, Peeta and Lark, and they were commenting about how I was glowing from my pregnancy. It has been announced in the Capitol that I was pregnant a week after my positive test, when a Capitol doctor had personally come out to examine me and confirm that I was about eleven weeks pregnant as of the twenty first of May, meaning my due date was either late November or early December. When the reaping came on the Fourth of July, I was already four months pregnant and my bump was getting difficult to hide. I wore a form-fitting dress, Snow's personal choice to show off my pregnancy. As we rode to the Justice Building, I felt nauseous for more than one reason - the pregnancy, the reaping and going back to the Capitol. "You okay?" Peeta asked me, placing a hand on my knee and giving it a squeeze, and I nodded.

"Just a little nauseous," I told him. "Still haven't kicked the morning sickness." I smiled at him, then placed my hand over his. Lark, who was now seventeen months old, noticed her father's hand on my knee and tried to make a grab for it.

"Dada, hand!" she said, wanting Peeta to hold her little hand in his. With his free hand, he held out his palm and Lark smacked it with hers. "Hi-five!" she said, and Peeta laughed.

"That's right, honeybun!" he said to his daughter. She was a little late to talk, but ever since she uttered her first word, she's been a talking machine. When Effie came wearing a pale blue ensemble, Lark's first word to her was 'bwoo fwill', something Haymitch had taught her to call Effie, and Effie was so entranced by Lark using words to speak to her that she didn't care that Lark had called her Haymitch's nickname of 'Frills'. When we arrived in the Justice Building, we were met by both Effie and Haymitch, and Haymitch seemed somewhat frustrated. "What's the matter? Not enough liquor to get through the day?" Peeta asked our mentor.

"Direct orders from the Capitol. You're to hold the kid so sweetheart here can show off that bump," Haymitch replied, and I let out a frustrated huff. A small part of me had hoped that holding Lark would at least hide my pregnancy a little bit, but it seemed that Snow was always one step ahead of me.

"Very well," I said, handing Lark to Peeta. Peeta wrapped an arm around my shoulders and kissed Lark's cheek, and Lark playfully giggled.

"Dada," she cooed, giving her father one of her infamous sloppy toddler kisses.

"You are so sweet, honeybun," Peeta told her. "You ready to go onstage, Lark? You've got to promise Daddy you'll be on your best behaviour!"

"Yeesh," said little Lark, not fully grasping the word 'yes' yet, and Effie let out a squeal.

"Oh, she is so adorable! Katniss, you are so lucky to have the sweetest father and daughter pair in the world!" she told me. "Anywho, best get onstage. Stand up straight - don't be afraid to show off that sweet baby bump you have, Katniss, dear. And don't forget to smile! You're on camera!" Ah, one of her infamous phrases. We were ushered onto the stage moments before Mayor Undersee came onstage to, again, give the speech about the Treaty of Treason, and then Effie came out to again introduce the same video we watched every year. I realised that, had Peeta and I not been reaped two years before, this would have been our last reaping, and then we'd be free from it forever. I reached for Peeta's hand behind us both and he grasped it firmly, giving it a tight squeeze. Out of the corners of our eyes, we glanced at each other, and his lips formed a subtle smile. Effie's booming voice in the microphone pulled us from our moment. "May the odds be ever in your favour! First, the girls!" Effie reached into the bowl, and I squeezed the life out of Peeta's hand as I clenched my teeth and prayed that it wasn't Prim. "Millie Dawson."

It wasn't Prim. Thank God for that! But instead, it was someone else's little sister, Maisie Dawson, who just aged out of the reaping last year. Her younger sister, Millie, was thirteen years old, and in the crowd, I could see the utter devastation on poor Maisie's face, unable to save her sister from the arena. I was lucky that I could save Prim from the reaping, but other girls with sisters were not so lucky. Millie had reddish-brown hair that stopped at her shoulders, and like poor Penelope Ruewood last year, she was Seam, and she was very small and frail-looking. Mille would not be coming home, and I felt sick to my stomach thinking that way.

"And now, for the boys," said Effie, and I gripped Peeta's hand again as Effie pulled out a name from the bowl, opening it slowly and reading it. "Vick Hawthorne."

" No!" I hissed, and Peeta gave my hand a firm squeeze.

"Katniss..." he warned me, reminding me that Snow was watching. I had no choice but to act indifferent. I looked out into the crowd searching for Rory Hawthorne, who was fourteen, but he was frozen in place. Looking further back, Gale looked furious - and he was looking right at me. I tried to tell him with my eyes that this was not my fault, but no amount of begging would change his mind. He was pissed, and he was going to come for me.

When Vick and Millie were brought into the Justice Building, Peeta, Effie, Haymitch, Lark and I made our way to the train station, wanting to get on as quickly as possible. I waited too long, because Gale came up behind Peeta and I and furiously said, "Katniss!" I froze, then slowly turned around to face his eyes, angry with the fires of the coal that he'd been mining for the last two years.

"Peeta, take Lark and get on the train," I said to him.

"Are you sure-" he began, but I cut him off.

"Yes. Please take Lark onto the train," I told him, turning to look at him. He nodded, then glanced at Gale, warning him with his piercing blue eyes, before he boarded the train with Lark in tow.

"So you've got another one, huh?" Gale said suddenly, breaking the moment of silence. "Was this one planned this time?"

"Yes... it was..." I told him.

"Look at you... the Capitol has fucking ruined you," Gale spat at me.

"Gale, you have no idea-"

"You bring him back. Do you hear me? Bring him back , Katniss, because if you don't..."

"Are you threatening me?" I demanded, cutting him off. "Lower your fucking voice because if Peeta hears you threatening me, he will not hesitate to come out here and kick your ass. Do you really want that? Do you want to appear on camera having had your ass beaten because you threatened a pregnant woman?"

"Peeta this, Peeta that. Is he all you ever fucking talk about?"

"He's my husband, Gale. Did you come here to ask me to bring your brother back or did you come here to berate me and my family?"

"Are you even happy?"

"What?"

"You never smile anymore. Not like you used to. Not with him, not since the Games..."

"You have no idea what goes on in my life when you're not around, Gale, which is quite a lot since you've decided to cut me out thanks to..." I drifted off when I noticed an old silver band on his left ring finger - a District Twelve Capitol-issued silver wedding band. "You... You're married?" He paused, then stood up straight. "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't Hazelle tell me?"

"I asked her not to tell you. You didn't tell me you were marrying Mellark."

"I told your family. It had to be rushed, and I didn't have the chance to tell you anyway. We agreed to marry on a Tuesday and got married that Sunday," I explained to him. "Who's your wife?"

"Does it matter?"

"It does to me... I'm your friend."

" Were my friend. You gave up that right a long time ago." I gave up that right? Who the hell was he to say that I gave up that right?

"I never walked away from you... You walked away from me," I told him. "I'll do what I can to bring Vick back... I can't promise anything... He's so young and small, the Careers won't hesitate to-"

"I don't fucking care, Katniss. Bring him home."

"And what if I can't?" He stepped towards me, poking a finger into my sternum.

"Then you'd better watch your back, Everdeen." My eyes went wide with fear. Did Gale Hawthorne, my old best friend, just threaten me?

"Gale..." I was incredibly hurt now. I was in a predicament that I had never imagined myself in. My former best friend now hated me and was threatening me if I couldn't bring his brother home - which I likely couldn't. I could try and try but in the end, I wasn't in the arena with Vick. I wouldn't be able to protect him. All I could do was send him food and medicine if he needed it, but that was only if I had the sponsors to do so, and no one sponsored twelve and thirteen-year-olds. "I... I'm so sorry..."

"It's too late for your damn apologies," Gale spat at me angrily. I couldn't stop the tears from slipping out of my eyes, and they fell harder when Gale started laughing at me. "Now you're crying? Katniss Everdeen never cries! Katniss Everdeen never wanted to get married, Katniss Everdeen never wanted to have kids, Katniss Everdeen never wanted to bow down to the goddamn Capitol and yet here she is! Crying, married, pregnant and every bit Capitol as that awful woman with the stupid hats!"

"Effie is a wonderful person, Gale, how dare you say that?" I said, and I meant it. Effie was like a second mother to me, always making sure I was okay and making sure Peeta, Lark and I were taken care of. She didn't know any better - she was a Capitol citizen, and like us in District Twelve, they only know what they're taught.

"See? Defending her, just like a Capitolite-"

"And my name is Katniss Mellark ." I found out quickly that that was the wrong thing to say to him.

PEETA POV

While I waited for Katniss on the train, I held Lark on my lap and fed her some small cubes of cheese from the buffet table, which she really enjoyed. She chewed open-mouthed with her little teeth and I had to try hard not to laugh as I told her to chew with her mouth closed. As I did so, Katniss stormed onto the train and practically ran to our bedroom in the next car over, slamming the door shut and locking it. "Wait here, sweetie. Haymitch, watch her!," I called, sitting Lark down on a bench and rushing off after Katniss, knocking on the door. "Katniss? Honey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Peeta. Can you... Can you send Effie in?" she asked from inside.

"Katniss, what happened? Talk to me," I begged her. "Katniss, open the door!"

"Peeta, please just get Effie! I'm having an... issue," she replied, and my eyes widened. Whenever she had a lady problem, she called it an 'issue', and most of those 'lady problems' involved blood, and I knew that miscarriages, too, involved blood, because I had once watched my mother go through one when I was very young.

"Katniss, what's wrong? Is it the baby? Katniss, open the door!" I exclaimed, tugging on the door handle. "I'll break it down, Katniss, I swear!" I was about to slam my shoulder into the door when it opened and I nearly fell through, and my eyes fell on Katniss's face. There, framing her left silvery grey eye, red and puffy from crying, was a big purple bruise. I gasped and took her face in my hands. "What the hell happened? Did Gale do this? I'll fucking kill him!"

"Peeta!" she called after me, but as I started down the car, the train jerked, signalling that the tributes were on board and we were starting to move.

"How could you let him do this to you?" I asked her, turning back around to grasp her hands in one of mine and run my thumb over the bruise of her eye.

"I didn't exactly ask him to hit me, Peeta! He just did it!"

"Why?"

"All I said before he hit me was that my name was Katniss Mellark..." My eyes narrowed. Gale was being a fucking child all because I was the one that Katniss fell in love with, and now he's hurt the love of my life, all over jealousy.

"When we get back..."

"You'll do nothing, because I don't want anyone in our family setting foot anywhere near him again."

"What else did he say to you?"

"It doesn't matter. He wants us to bring Vick home, as any brother would."

"That isn't going to happen. He's twelve years old, he's never gonna make it," I told her, and she surprised me by pulling me into a tight hug and burying her face in my shoulder.

"I know... and that's what I'm afraid of..." she said to me. So Gale threatened her. Well, if he wanted to threaten my wife and the mother of my children, I'd show him what I make of his threats. "Can... Can you please get Effie? I just... I need her to hide this bruise..." That sounded familiar. I let out a sigh, then pulled back from her embrace and looked down into her face.

"Of course I can," I told her, and I kissed her forehead. "Go and wait in the room, I'll send her in." She gave me a subtle smile, then stopped me as I was about to turn to kiss me, and then she went into the room.

The tributes weren't exactly remarkable. Apparently, Gale didn't let either of his younger brothers do any hunting, although he would likely show his older younger brother now, if he wasn't pissed off at him for not volunteering. Vick had no knowledge of any hunting skills or anything - and why would he? He was twelve years old, his only responsibilities should be going to school and doing household chores, not fighting for his life in the arena. Millie was no better. She could make a fire, but that was about it. That wouldn't help her in the arena when the Careers were tracking her. It struck me then that Katniss was a rare exception to the tributes of District Twelve with her hunting skills. There were almost no children in the district with any useful skills, which was why tributes from District Twelve were always doomed.

Upon our arrival in the Capitol a couple of days later, I waited for the car that would take us to Victors' Hotel, but instead, a separate car approached us, and a man stepped out of it. "I will be taking Katniss Everdeen Mellark to the hospital for examination," he said, and Katniss's hand quickly grasped mine, refusing to let go.

"Can I go with her? I'm the father," I said to the man. He stepped aside for a moment and spoke quietly into a headset, then turned back to face us.

"That would be fine," he said. I handed Lark to Haymitch, asking him to get settled in our room and get Lark situated, as well as watch her, and Katniss and I climbed into the car. I took Katniss's hand in mine and gave her a firm kiss on the cheek.

"Don't worry, I won't leave your side for a second," I told her, but that didn't take the fear from her eyes. We learned that they would be keeping her overnight to give her nourishment for the baby, give her any necessary shots or medications and take every possible precaution to make sure that this baby came out perfect, and I was pissed that I wasn't allowed to stay with her. "It'll be okay, Katniss. Tomorrow, you'll be with me and it'll be okay."

"Don't leave me, Peeta!" Katniss begged me, her hands holding mine in an iron grip.

"Baby, you know I'd stay if they'd let me... I've got to go and be a mentor to our tributes," I told her. "They've got the parade today..."

"I don't care, Peeta! I don't want you to leave me!" she hissed at me, and I sighed. She was going to be angry with me for leaving her side, but there was nothing I could do. A peacekeeper had to nearly drag me out of her room and Katniss had to be sedated to keep her from screaming. A nurse then handed me a folded slip of paper.

"Congratulations, Mr. Mellark," she told me when I opened the paper to look at it - it had revealed the baby's gender. "I don't know what it is, but I can't wait to see it announced tonight in your interview!" Interview? I had to give an interview tonight about this? God, would the Capitol ever stop torturing me and my family? I was brought back to the hotel after that and met Haymitch in the lobby, who was holding Lark.

"Hello, sweetheart," I said to my daughter, taking her from Haymitch and holding her tightly, and then I looked at Haymitch. "What's the deal with this interview?"

"You go up, talk about your life with sweetheart for a bit, and then Caesar's gonna ask about the pregnancy and kiddo's gonna announce it," Haymitch replied.

"Lark is going to announce it?" I asked. "Since when?"

"Since Snow demanded it, now make sure she knows what she's sayin' so she don't screw it up! C'mon, I'll take ya up to your room. The tributes are still gettin' ready. I made sure you and sweetheart got the room farthest from me because I ain't listenin' to y'all fuckin' all night!" Haymitch said as he led me to the elevator.

"Fuck!" Lark screeched, and I turned beet red and my eyes went wide with shock before they trained themselves on Haymitch glaring daggers at the laughing drunkard.

"Watch what you say around her! She repeats everything!" I hissed at him, but Haymitch only laughed some more.

"Kiddo, your daddy's a stick in the mud!" he told Lark with a laugh, and she also laughed, picking up the cue from Haymitch. The room in the Hotel was different from the suite, but it was still big. There was a large bed, a TV stand, a couch, a television, a bathroom and a door leading to a second room, where Lark would be sleeping. It was there where I got prepped for the interview, having to miss the chariot parade this year since the interview would take place right after. While I waited, I tried to teach Lark what to say when she got to announce the baby's gender, but to no avail. Hopefully, she said it correctly when it was actually time. When it was time to get onstage, after I watched the tribute parade, I was welcomed onstage by Caesar Flickerman, who had hair that was bright pink and bright pink lips to match - how fitting.

"Peeta Mellark!" he exclaimed happily when I walked onstage with Lark in my arms. "And little Miss Lark! How are we today, you beautiful little darling?"

"How are you today, Lark?" I asked my daughter, who looked down at the microphone that Caesar was shoving in her face. She didn't say anything, so I nudged her on. "Sweetie, tell Mister Caesar how you are!" I said, but she still didn't speak. "...good?"

"Good," little Lark said shyly, and Caesar and I shared a friendly chuckle.

"She's a little shy," I said to him.

"That's all right! She's come a long way since we last saw her, hasn't she? Talking and everything!" Caesar exclaimed happily. "How are you and Katniss doing?"

"We're doing well! We're very happy together and very glad that we get to have the privilege of being together," I replied. It was vague, but it worked.

"I understand you're going to add a new addition to your family very soon?" Caesar asked me.

"Yes, we are, in about five months," I replied with a huge fake smile plastered onto my face.

"And I understand you know the gender now? There's been all kinds of guesses - is it a boy or is it a girl? My bet is on a little girl!" Caesar exclaimed, pointing at his pink hair and lips. "I understand Miss Lark is going to tell us?"

"She is, and she's very excited to share the news!" I said, and then I looked at my little girl in my lap. "Lark, sweetie, what are you gonna be soon?" She was silent again, letting out a small whine, which told me that she was uncomfortable. "Lark, tell Mister Caesar what Mommy's having!" She still didn't respond, so I bent down into her ear and whispered her line into her ear.

"Big sisser," said Lark, referring to herself, and I let out a chuckle.

"Now tell Caesar what you're gonna have," I said, and I again whispered her line into her ear.

"Leel sisser," Lark repeated, and the crowd erupted into cheers, startling Lark and causing her to cry.

"Baby, it's okay!" I said, turning her around and holding her against my chest, rubbing her back for comfort.

"It's a girl!" Caesar announced, causing the crowd to cheer again. "Our Star-Crossed Lovers of District Twelve are proud to announce that they are having another beautiful little girl! How wonderful is that? Well, Peeta, we have to conclude this interview as it's time to air the recap of the tribute parade, but we hope to be seeing more of you, and this sweet little darling, soon!" I thanked Caesar and carried my crying daughter off the stage to head back to the hotel. I would not be seeing the tributes that night and instead, went back and crawled into bed with Lark, who fell asleep almost instantly.

Katniss was released from the hospital early the next day and she was not at all happy with me for Lark's appearance on television. "Honey, it wasn't my choice. You know that," I told her.

"She's too young for all that!" Katniss spat back, holding Lark tightly and facing away from me.

"You think I don't know that?" I asked her, and I let out a sigh. "Katniss... Can we not argue this year? Please? I know you're stressed and this place isn't home and we're under a lot of pressure... but don't push me away, please."

"I'm sorry... I just..." She sighed this time, then turned back around to face me, tears threatening her eyes. We didn't say anything more; I pulled her into my arms and we held each other for quite a while.

This year, I was sent to help send the tributes off to their first day of training while Katniss needed a consultation with Cinna about outfits that would suit her ever-growing pregnancy bump, and Haymitch and I tried to assess our tributes again. Both of them were silent and not at all confident that they'd get very far, so I simply told them which stations to visit in training. "There have been victors who won simply by hiding out and waiting until everyone else was dead. It doesn't happen often, but if you can disguise yourself or if you're good at hiding, you might have a chance of doing that," I told Vick and Millie.

"Didn't you do that in your Games?" Millie asked me, and I nodded.

"I did, when I was injured, I disguised myself as river rocks and blended in. Got passed by the Careers several times until Katniss finally found me and got me out of there," I replied. "So see? Camouflage works. Hit up that station, as well as the edible plants station. You're both young and small, and I wish I could say that the weapons stations would be beneficial to you, but unfortunately, they won't be. Not with the Careers. Hit them up at least once each, then stick with camouflage and edible plants." Both Millie and Vick agreed to our plan of action, and Haymitch and I sent them down to training.

"You make a good mentor. Sweetheart? Not so much," Haymitch told me.

"Oh, and you're any better?" I asked him with a bemused expression, and he cackled.

"You're alive, ain't ya?" he asked me. That was pretty much how the rest of the training days went. Katniss made an appearance a couple of times before we sent off our tributes and she advised them to focus on smaller knives, as well as to observe their surroundings. She reminded them about the time she dropped a tracker jacker nest on the Careers (when I was one of them) and suggested they use that tactic if they happened to find the opportunity. Then, the night of the interviews were upon us, and this was Haymitch's forte. He advised them to be likeable, charming and to engage Caesar in conversation. Vick, however, dropped a bomb that nobody was expecting.

"I've had a crush on Millie ever since we were kids... It's rotten luck to be put in the same Games as the girl of your dreams, isn't it?" he'd said to Caesar. Katniss and I's jaws both dropped and I turned away out of frustration. "It worked for you, didn't it?" Vick asked us when we approached him about it after the interview.

"That's because it was real! You now have to keep that up in the arena if you want sponsors!" I exclaimed in frustration. God, he was just like his older brother.

"Gale said it wasn't real, so why can't I do it?" Vick asked us.

"Gale doesn't know anything, Vick. Not about me, not about Peeta and I together, not about the Games or the Capitol, nothing. You've just put a target on your back, and Millie's," Katniss replied firmly, and then she let out a sigh. "Look, Vick... I want to get you home so badly... I was devastated when you were reaped. I'm going to do whatever I can to get you home. Peeta, Haymitch and I will all try our damndest to get you home to your family, do you understand?" He nodded in understanding, knowing that the chances of us getting him home were probably equal to the chances of Katniss and I both surviving if we were thrown into another arena. We bid both of our tributes goodnight and wished them luck, and Haymitch gave his parting advice of 'stay alive' before the three of us made our way back to the Hotel.

"I'm headin' to the lounge. Y'all comin'?" Haymitch asked us, but Lark was already fast asleep in my arms.

"Not tonight, we're both tired and we've got Lark to worry about," I told him. He waved us off, then we got off on the twelfth floor of the Hotel while he got off on the thirteenth, where the lounge was, and went to bed early.

The Games began early the next day and all three of us mentors were in the control room for the start of the Games. This arena was a desert arena, with some small coverage but really not much at all. There were likely to be snakes, lizards and all kinds of poisonous animals as well as plants, and we were all worried about our tributes. When the countdown ended and the cannon went off, we tried to watch our tributes in the chaos, but they were easy to lose. At the end of the bloodbath at the cornucopia, the boy and girl from Three, the girl from Four, the boy from Five, the boy and girl from Six, the girl from Seven, the boy from Eight, the boy from Ten and Millie were all dead. Ten tributes dead, and fourteen more were still living. Katniss let out a sigh of relief at Vick having survived the initial bloodbath of the cornucopia, but we were all sad to know one of our tributes had already died.

On the second day, the two tributes from Nine were found by the Careers and were brutally murdered, leaving just twelve tributes left, and on the third day, the girl from Ten and the boy from One had managed to kill each other, leaving just ten. "Sweetheart, why don't you stay here and the boy and I will go and try to win some sponsors for the other boy?" Haymitch asked Katniss, who glanced at me nervously before nodding.

"As long as you're sure I can handle mentoring by myself," she told Haymitch.

"You can do it. Just don't let your feelin's waste any money that can be used for somethin' he really could use like medicine or somethin'," Haymitch told her. I gave Katniss a quick kiss and kissed Lark's honey golden curls before Haymitch and I left the control room, heading for the elevator. I noticed he happened to push the button for Floor Thirteen, as opposed to the Ground Floor Lobby like he had claimed (we were on Sublevel Two - Sublevel Three was where the Games were controlled).

"Thought we were going to the lobby," I said.

"Lounge first. I need a drink," Haymitch replied, and I nodded in silence. When we got to the lounge, there were a few mentors there, most notably, Cyrus Tyranny, who was enjoying his first year as a mentor, Enobaria Heller, Johanna Mason, Finnick Odair, Chaff Lemell and Pascasia Mazarinne. Haymitch and I went to the bar, where Finnick was sitting, and Haymitch ordered his drink. "What are you up to, fish boy?" Finnick chuckled as Haymitch addressed him.

"Not much," he said, and he tapped his golden wristwatch. Haymitch downed his drink, then ordered another one.

"We're goin' to get some sponsors for our kid. Comin' down?" Haymitch asked him.

"Sure, I still have a tribute in the Games. Might as well," Finnick replied.

"Gotta get somethin' from my room first. C'mon, boy," said Haymitch, leading both Finnick and I to the elevator.

"I could just meet you down there, Haymitch," I said, but he waved me off.

"Ten minutes, max," he said, exchanging a glance with Finnick. I looked between them suspiciously, wondering what the hell this could be about, as we exited the elevator onto the twelfth floor. With one hand in his pocket, Haymitch opened the door to his room, then ushered Finnick and I inside. "Right, we got ten minutes."

"Haymitch, what is this about?" I asked, and he pulled that blocker thing out of his pocket to show it to me.

"Ten minutes. Don't dilly dally," he repeated. Finnick had gone to sit down on Haymitch's bed and I eyed him and Haymitch suspiciously - the mischievous glint was gone from Finnick's seafoam eyes.

"By the way, Haymitch - 'plant' and 'sow' mean the same thing," Finnick said to him playfully.

"Shut up, fish boy. Tell the boy," Haymitch said, sitting down on his couch with his drink in hand.

"Tell me what?" I demanded, still standing. "What's going on?"

"Rebellion," said Finnick. "I'll start with this: District Thirteen is real, and they want you and Katniss to lead the rebellion. That stunt with the berries... they know it wasn't an act of love. They know it was a chance to get back at the Games and the Capitol, and they know your relationship was built by the Capitol."

"Well, they're wrong! Katniss and I do love each other very much, even if it was the Capitol and the Games that brought us together. What is this really about? They want Katniss and I to lead the rebellion? Haymitch, I told you no! Katniss and I will not agree to this! We have a family to protect!" I spat at both of them.

"We can get you out to District Thirteen. You and sweetheart and your kids will be safe there," Haymitch chimed in. I paused for a moment. Safe? In District Thirteen?

"But... isn't Thirteen a nuclear wasteland?" I asked.

"So we thought, but they moved underground and they're thrivin'. I ain't seen it myself personally, but I've met some of the people who live there. Couple o' kids with different coloured eyes really believe that sweetheart has what it takes to lead this rebellion, but you and I both know she ain't gonna do it without you by her side," Haymitch replied.

"I... I can't... Haymitch, my girls... I have two daughters now. Will have two daughters... Katniss will never agree to it, Haymitch. I told you, I have too much to lose!" I said quickly.

"Then think about it at least. When you make up your mind, reach out to Haymitch and he'll reach out to me. We'll be in touch as soon as we can about what we need you to do," Finnick said, and then he stood, approaching me and placing his hands on my shoulders. "It doesn't have to be this way... You don't have to live in fear, your family doesn't have to live in fear. Peeta..." He let out a sigh. "I'm in love, too, and I want to do everything I can to protect her... but I can't. I can't even marry her, because if I do, then I will no longer be profitable for Snow, and he... he'll kill what's left of my family, and it isn't much. Has Haymitch told you what I have to do for Snow?" I shook my head. "Remember what you had to do? After your Capitol wedding?"

"How do you..."

"Because I've done it before. I've been doing it ever since I was sixteen years old. I'm twenty-six now. For ten years, I've been forced to sleep with Capitolites so Snow can profit off of me, and what do I get for it in return? My loved ones staying alive. You're not the only one making sacrifices for those you love..." I was silent as I listened to him, hearing his own story and realising that he really wasn't all that much different from me.

"But you don't have children," I said quietly to him.

"No, I don't... and I can't have any thanks to Snow."

"What if the rebellion fails?"

"We don't have time to think about that. With Katniss at the front, who's admired by so many people in the districts... there won't be failure."

"And you're so sure of that."

"Katniss Everdeen gives Panem hope. The people see how destroyed she has been by Snow and they want to rebel. Peeta, you also give them hope. The way you speak is a beautiful gift that the rebellion needs to win. With Katniss's fiery spirit and your golden tongue... we can win this rebellion."

"Two minutes," says Haymitch. I let out a sigh, and then I nodded gently.

"I'll think about it," I said. "I don't want to live in fear wondering what misstep I'll take that'll lead to my children getting reaped... I don't want Katniss to be afraid anymore, either. She cried when we found out she was pregnant, both times. It isn't supposed to be that way. She should be happy... She loves Lark and I know she'll love this baby just the same... I'll think about it. I promise."

"When you've made up your mind, speak to Haymitch. He knows how to reach me and the rebellion," Finnick told me, and he gave me a smile. "See? I'm not as bad as you think."

"It's that damn peacock persona!" Haymitch exclaimed, and Finnick and I both let out a chuckle. A firm knock at the door surprised us all, causing Haymitch to spill his drink. "Fish boy, you're here lookin' for some book you lent me. Boy, I'm mentorin' you on bein' a mentor."

"Aye-aye, captain," said Finnick, saluting Haymitch, and he sat down on the bed. Haymitch answered the door to two peacekeepers who pushed into the room.

"What's going on up here?" said one of them, shoving past Haymitch.

"I'm givin' fish boy here his book back, and Peeta's my charge. What else does it look like?" Haymitch asked them, going to his bedside table and rummaging through it, then pulling out a book and tossing it to Finnick.

"We've been on the lookout for suspicious behaviour. The cameras in the hall didn't pick you up in here," said the peacekeeper.

"And I'll bet you're really here because the microphones didn't hear nothin', either. Well, we ain't talkin' shit if that's what you're thinkin'. Get better equipment if it fails on ya like that," Haymitch replied dangerously, and Finnick and I exchanged a glance before turning our attention back to the Peacekeepers.

"Very well," said the peacekeeper. "We'll be keeping an eye on you, Abernathy." Haymitch waved them off and scoffed, then poured another drink into his glass and took a gulp of it.

"Must be fun to watch, if ya gotta watch me that closely," he said, and the peacekeepers stalked off. "Right... Down to the lobby? Get us some sponsors for our kids?"

Based on how quickly those peacekeepers detected an error in their technology, thinking about rebellion in the Capitol made me nervous, so I vowed to push the thought out of my mind until we got back to Twelve. On the fifth day of the Games, the Careers picked off the two tributes from Eleven, leaving just the girl from One, the girl and boy from Two, the boy from Four, the girl from Five, the girl from Eight, and Vick from Twelve. Seven tributes left.

On the sixth day, Vick was bitten by a poisonous snake, and we didn't have enough funds to send him antivenom. All three of us were in the lobby trying so hard to earn enough money to buy him the antivenom, which was two thousand dollars, but by the time we'd had the money and we made it back to command to deliver the medicine, his cannon went off, and we lost our second tribute. Katniss burst into tears instantly and I pulled her into my arms for a tight hug, but it was no comfort to her. Vick was viewed as one of her cousins by Panem, but in truth, he was the member of a very close family of friends to her family. "I tried... I tried so hard..." she cried into my shoulder.

"Shh, shh... I know... I know, sweetie, I know," I told her. Lark toddled over and tugged on Katniss's skirt.

"Mama sad?" she asked. Wiping her tears, Katniss bent down to pick our little girl up and held her against her chest.

"Yes, baby... Mummy's sad..." she said to Lark. The 76th Hunger Games were over for us, and we feared the wrath of Gale when we finally returned to Twelve. At least, Katniss worried about it - I wasn't so concerned. If Gale wanted to dare come near my home and my family, he wouldn't like the end result. He might have been tall and muscular - taller than me - and he might have worked in the mines, but I used to wrestle back in school and the only opponent I couldn't beat was my older brother, but that was only because I saw Katniss at the wrestling match and got distracted. I felt terrible that he lost his little brother, but if he wanted to threaten my family, then I would have no sympathy for him.

"Katniss is, understandably, very upset right now," I told an interviewer when I went out to the lobby to discuss the loss of my tribute. "You see, Vick was one of her cousins and she's very close to her family. We tried very hard to work up the funds to send him an antivenom, but the problem is that supplies get more expensive as the Games go on." Was I allowed to say that? Oh well, too late now. "Unfortunately, no one likes to sponsor the younger tributes because they generally don't have any chances. Vick was the last twelve-year-old in the Games and people would much rather spend money on the older tributes who have a chance. Understandable, I suppose, but Vick had a noble heart, and he would have made just as good of a victor as any other tribute."

"But he didn't do much, did he?" asked the interviewer. "Just hiding and whatnot."

"When you've got a group of sixteen to eighteen-year-olds that are strong and trained in weaponry, and you're just a small kid, wouldn't you hide?" I asked the interviewer. I gave him the best fake smile I could, and then I made my way back to command.

"Boy, those were fightin' words," Haymitch warned me when I arrived.

"I thought they were very fitting. I thought that maybe, I could try and convince people to sponsor younger tributes in the future," I told him.

"But people don't wanna sponsor younger tributes, boy! They can't win! They don't win! You worded it well enough... If you're lucky, Snow will let it slide."

"Haymitch, I am the first tribute in history that won the Games along with the actual victor. I'd say I'm built out of nothing but luck."

"Luck runs out sometimes, boy. Just hope yours hasn't yet. Don't cash it all in on one shot." I hoped against hope that nothing would come of that. I worried for Katniss and Lark, and then for my unborn child, and feared that Snow would come up with something to punish me for my words, but nothing came of it. At least, not immediately.

The Games finally ended after eleven days. The girl from One attacked the two tributes from Two, killing the boy from Two and in turn losing her own life when the girl from Two stabbed her and ran off, leaving just the girl from Two, Aurelia, the boy from Four, Titan, the girl from Five, Delectra, and the girl from Eight, Bobbin. Bobbin was bit by a poisonous lizard on the ninth day, resulting in her death, and Aurela and Titan faced off at the cornucopia. A lightning storm, strange for the desert, struck the metal cornucopia, and the two tributes that were inside it, killing both Aurelia and Titan, which left Delectra Altra of District Five as the victor of the 76th Hunger Games.

"To District Five," said Finnick, giving his annual toast to the victor in the lounge after the Games had come to the end.

"The odds were in your favour," came multiple voices, including mine. Finnick winked at me, and I nodded subtly at him, taking a sip from my own drink. And so we returned to District Twelve with two more pine coffins, bearing the names of Millie Dawson and Vick Hawthorne on their bronze plates. Two more names to add to mine and Katniss's ever-growing list, which now added up to six. Two more names to add to Haymitch's ever-growing list, which now added up to fifty-four. The odds were never in our favour, and the stew of rebellion began to bubble under my skin.

A/N: Will Gale follow up on his threats against Katniss for failing to bring home his little brother? What lengths will Peeta go to to protect his family?

Please review!