Changing the Game Chapter 5: Special Pen, a hunger games fanfic

A/N: First, I would just like to thank all of you who are reading and responding, reviews make my heart smile :)

I'm sorry for such a monster of a chapter, there was just so much information! I've read through this chapter six or seven times, but I'm not sure if I caught all of the typo's/spelling issues, so please forgive me if you find them. If anyone out there is wanting/willing to be a beta reader, or just pre-read for me, send me a message to let me know. Happy Reading, I hope you enjoy!

Changing the Game

Chapter 5 : Special Pen

~ Katniss ~

It's been an hour since Peeta pinned me up against the wall in the elevator, and my heart still races at the memory of Peeta's lips so close to my own. We haven't kissed, I mean really kissed since that first day on the train, and I find myself craving Peeta's tongue against my lips more than I'm willing to admit. What is wrong with me? This isn't me, I'm not this lovesick schoolgirl, I don't get feelings like this. Except I am, and I do.

All throughout dinner I found myself purposefully biting my tongue trying to cause enough pain to distract myself from the fluttering in my stomach. For once I am grateful for Haymitch's ability to sour my mood with just the sound of his voice.

After Peeta shares his weightlifting session with Cato, Haymitch went off the deep end. I don't think I've ever heard so many curse words strung together into one sentence before. However, Haymitch's anger eases up once Peeta explains the reasoning for his actions.

Effie announces that she suspects we are the capitol's favorite pair, and the sponsors are arguing over who will be the ones to support us. Apparently, if the tribute you sponsor comes out the victor, there is some sort of prize. She didn't elaborate and I'm not sure that I want to know. We're all everyone is talking about, 'The lovesick fools of District Twelve'. I can't say that I'm happy about the name, but Cinna continues to reassure us that being memorable is what's important, and with a catchy name such as this, well, who could ever forget that?

Just before we finish dinner, a beautiful girl walks into the suite and begins rummaging around the room collecting our trash and disposing of it in the waste bin. I wonder if she's the housekeeper or something? She looks so familiar, where have I seen her before?

"Hey, I know you!" I blurt out, the small glass of wine Haymitch allowed me to have seems to have severed the connection between my brain and my mouth.

"How preposterous, Katniss! She is an avox, a traitor to the capitol. Her tongue has been removed for her crimes against the capitol; to insinuate that you know the likes of someone like her is just maddening!" Haymitch gives me a look that says, 'drop it.' I've never been good at coloring inside the lines though.

"But I—" I begin, but Peeta comes to my rescue.

"Delly Cartwright, that's who she looks like." Peeta snaps his fingers and points at me.

"Yeah…that must be it." My voice quakes at the lie, knowing that he's covering for me. This girl looks nothing like Delly.

"It's the hair; her hair is a dead ringer for Delly." Peeta is so convincing, even I almost believe him.

"Well if that's all it was…" Relief washes over Effie once the conversation comes to a halt.

I'm so anxious my entire body is buzzing, and I desperately need to get out of here. I can't be certain whether the buzzing is due to the wine or my nerves.

I vaguely recall a conversation in which Cinna hinted at going up to the roof for some fresh air, and I decide to venture out on my own. I exit the suite and walk to the end of the hall. I open a door marked 'exit' and find a set of stairs. I take the stairs two at a time in a hurry to reach the top where I am faced with yet another door. Giddy at finding the door unlocked, I open it and immediately my anxiety is extinguished once fresh air makes contact with my face. I step onto the roof and close my eyes, savoring the crisp night air; although polluted it's still better than being trapped inside.

"Hello beautiful." My heart smiles at the sound of his voice, and when I open my eyes to be greeted with his beautiful face, I'm pretty sure my heart does a somersault. I feel the blush creep up onto my face, immediately thankful for the cover of night which will surely conceal it. I walk over to Peeta who is leaning against the ledge of the roof as he looks out into the streets of the city. He grabs my hand, lacing our fingers together. "Can't sleep?" He asks me.

"No, too anxious. You?" I see him shake his head as he continues to watch the parade of people who celebrate the upcoming games.

"They have no idea. They just live their carefree lives oblivious to the hardships and suffering that we go through, and they're having a party to celebrate our imminent deaths. A freakin' party, Katniss." When he says 'we', I know he isn't referring to us, but to the people of the districts in general.

"Do you think they know any better? They were raised this way."

"That doesn't make it okay, Katniss. I just wish—" He looks up and around, as if he's looking for something specific, and then pulls me with him as he walks over to a small garden in the corner of the roof surrounded by a flurry of wind chimes that create the most beautiful songs as they sway in the wind.

"I feel sorry for them, I know that's a weird thing to say since they never want for a thing, and here we are struggling our entire lives, about to be thrown into an arena where we'll have to fight for our right to live. But I do, I feel sorry for them." I don't know how to respond, Peeta is the one with the silver tongue, so I just look down at our hands. "Come here." Peeta pulls me to his chest, wrapping his arms around my middle as he leans against the wall. My heart accelerates from the proximity of his lips to my neck.

"This is all I want Katniss, all I want in this whole world is to just be with you, to be next to you. Why is that so wrong? Why is it wrong to want to live a life with you, to take care of you and to love you? It's all I want, and I swear if I could do it, if I could just take care of you and love you and feed you and just give you the world, I would be the happiest man alive." I smile, the love that soars into my body is so overwhelming, consuming me from the inside out.

"Where do you come up with words like that? Do you have a little notebook with romantic sappy lines in it that you memorize and recite to me later?"

"I just say what I'm thinking…how I feel, how you make me feel." I turn around to face Peeta and wrap my arms around him, resting my head on his shoulder. He smells amazing, like cinnamon and dill and it's doing things to my insides.

"It's too much Peeta."

"What's too much?"

"The feelings inside of me right now, all of these feelings, these emotions, it just feels like it's too much. It's like...my feelings for you fill up all the empty space inside me, and I'm running out of room and I don't know what to do with the extras, and at any given moment, I could explode." He lifts my chin with his fingers, forcing me to meet his eyes.

"And you say you aren't good with words. That was probably the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me." I feel the warmth spread against my cheeks, but I don't dare break our gaze.

"I want to kiss you Katniss. Can I kiss you?" I'm surprised that Peeta can't hear my heart beating as it must sound like a train pummeling down the tracks. My voice isn't working either; all I can do is nod.

This kiss is nothing like our first kiss on the train. First, he kisses me softly on my lips hovering there for a moment before he moves in deeper. I follow his lead, mimicking his actions as I'm not very experienced with this kind of thing. Part of me wonders how Peeta is so skilled at kissing, yet another part of me pushes the thoughts as far away as possible, not wanting to ruin the moment.

He runs his fingers through my hair as his tongue penetrates my mouth. Our tongues glide back and forth in perfect synchronicity as if they've spent their entire lives perfecting their little dance. He finishes just as he began, with a soft kiss to my lips, and then pulls me back to his chest, wrapping his arms around me.

"I love you Katniss, I love you so much it hurts. It doesn't hurt to love you, that's not what I meant. I just love you so much, and knowing you feel the slightest bit back, I just…I never thought you would ever see me as anything more than just a friend, and I think I just might combust. I suppose it's the equivalent to your 'feeling too much.'

"Peeta—"

"You don't have to say it back Kat, I know how you feel about that. I just wanted you to know that I love you, that you are loved. I need you to know it."

We stand in silence for a while, savoring the comfort and safety of each other's arms before Peeta speaks again.

"So, tell me about this Delly look-a-like."

"Oh. Yeah. That." I wonder if he realizes that he already knows this story. "Do you remember the time I told you about when Gale and I took a walk that one day just after school began last year and we saw the hovercraft with the boy and girl? They speared the boy and had the girl trapped in a net?" Peeta knows that 'taking a walk' is code for 'hunting in the woods' in case The Capitol is listening to us.

"You think that's her?"

"I know it is. She must hate me for just watching them capture her, for not being brave enough to help her."

"I doubt that, she probably doesn't even remember you. She was so far away, and it was getting dark, right?"

"She remembers me, I saw it in her eyes when she looked at me. And she'll never forget me Peeta, you never forget the face of the person who was your last hope."

"Katniss?"

"Mmm hmmm?"

"This is real, right? I mean you and me. Us. Your feelings. You're not…..you're not doing this because you think you owe me something are you? It isn't a ploy to play up this 'love-sick fools' thing, right?" I turn around to face him, needing to reassure him that my feelings are in fact, very real. But when I meet his eyes, I see terror painted across his face mixed with fear. He's scared of my answer. How can he not know?

But I'm terrible at talking, I'm better at doing. So, I do the only thing I can think to convince to him that this is real, that my feelings for him are concrete, they real, and they're so true. I link my arms around his neck and press my lips to his. I brush my tongue across his lips before dipping my tongue into his mouth. I kiss him with everything I am, sending all of my emotions, all of my feelings into this one kiss. Because he has to know, he needs to know that he's the only one I love and that I am in love with him.

Once we come up for air, Peeta is the first to speak. "Wow."

"Does that answer your question?"

"I don't know, wanna do it again and then I'll tell you?" He gives me that crooked grin that I love so much. There is a pregnant pause as he internally juggles with his thoughts.

"Actually, I think we should probably go back inside before I get carried away and have my way with you."

"What if I want you to have your way with me?" His eyes darken and I see a flicker of something that I don't recognize, and then I see that mischievous grin again as he considers my question.

"Come on, we have a big day tomorrow. Private sessions and all."

. . . . . .

~ Bing ~

"Oh, hey Bing, I didn't see you there." I called Dylan's name twice before he seemed to hear me.

"It's okay, you seemed a million miles away."

"Yeah…Thanks for agreeing to meet me out here. Listen, there's something I have to tell you, something you need to know—"

"I figured as much since you asked me to meet you all the way out here. So…what's up?" I ask as he motions for me to follow him deeper into the woods. We stop once we arrive at a clearing in the woods where one tree stands suspiciously alone. Dylan fumbles around with the branches, and then I have to rub my eyes to see if I'm dreaming as I witness the tree split in half as it opens apart; revealing a set of stairs.

"What the hell?" I say stupefied as Dylan places a finger over his lips telling me not to speak as he leads me underground. Once we reach the bottom of the stairs, Dylan does something that causes the tree to close back up, sealing us in some type of underground tunnel.

"Has this always been here? Where exactly are we? What's going on?"

"I was told not to tell you anything because it's too dangerous if too many people know, but I couldn't in good conscience keep you in the dark. It just isn't right."

"In the dark about what? You didn't answer my first questions." The suspense is making me anxious.

"Haymitch brought me down here a while back. Do you remember when had the measles and was quarantined to my room for two weeks about a month ago?" I nod, following him thus far.

"Well, I didn't have the measles, and I wasn't in my room. I went to District Thirteen to met with their leader."

"District Thirteen? There is no District Thirteen."

"They were never obliterated; well, I mean the grounds were destroyed, but they went underground and have been thriving since. The leader, she calls herself 'President Coin' has been waiting for the right time to start a revolution. She wants to put an end to President Snow's regime, to the games, and she wants to help us reclaim our freedom. In order to do that, there has to be more support among the districts. For years, she's been biding her time, waiting for the perfect moment while searching for someone to come along who can give the people hope. Bing, they've got technology and resources that we could only ever dream of having. There's so much I need to tell you and not enough time, so the condensed version will have to do for now.

She chose Katniss as her 'spark'. At first, I said no, but once I realized she intended to go forward with or without my consent, I agreed knowing that I would be in a better position to help Katniss if this President Coin trusts me. Don't get me wrong, I do want this, I have wanted it for so long….I want my girls to be able to live without the fear of the games looming over their heads every year, to live in a world where eating and going into the woods is their right, where we won't be punished for something as simple as feeding our families.

She said they needed a person just rebellious enough without trying to be, for that person to volunteer for the games; not for the fame, fortune, or for their bloodlust, but because of love. She told me it would only work if an older sibling volunteered for their younger sibling to protect them; because they love them so much and would rather risk their own life in the games than for their sibling to. The name chosen for the reaping this year was Primrose Everdeen. But then—"

"Holy shit, are you serious? That was planned? Did Kat—"

"No, Katniss didn't know anything, and I'm not sure if she's aware of anything as of yet. There are so many people in The Capitol who are on our side and are willing to stack the deck in Katniss' favor in order to secure her victory.

I'm sure that by now she's questioning things, she's probably beginning to fit some of the pieces together, that is; if she picked up on the clues I left for her. But Bing, as soon as they called Peeta's name, I knew that the original plan would have to go out the window. Katniss will not come home without Peeta, I know it." I nod my head as I think about my boy, and how he was willing to sacrifice his life for Katniss. One thing is certain, Peeta won't come home without her either.

"What does this mean? Is the plan scratched, or are they forming a new plan?"

"I went straight to the mayor after our kids left and told him that we have to come up with a new plan. We have to figure out how to get the gamemaker's to change the game, to bend the rules and allow two victors. It would be the ultimate defiance."

"What…Wait…Are you—" It feels as if my heart has dropped into my stomach as I realize what Dylan is telling me. "Are you telling me that I might see my boy again?"

"They come home together, or they don't come home. I don't want to lose my daughter, and it hurts like hell to think about it, but it's the truth. And for some reason, this President Coin is certain that Katniss is what the people need, and she's determined to get her back home."

"And you trust this President Coin?" I ask wearily.

"I trust that she has the resources to bring our kids home. But it's not just her, there are gamemaker's, stylists, and a lot of other people in The Capitol prepared to do whatever it takes to bring her home. Bing, you know how much we love Peeta, and when I heard Effie Trinket calling out his name at the reaping, it was like…it was pretty damn painful…like I was losing two kids."

"I know, he loves you guys too. Means a lot to me how much you guys look after him. Considering….well, you know." It's no secret that my wife is an angry woman who tends to take her frustrations out on Peeta. I'm ashamed for never standing up to her, but I promise myself in this moment that if Peeta makes it back home, I'll never allow her to lay another finger on him or speak another hateful word to him.

"Bing, you can't say a word to her, I don't trust her a bit. I'm sorry but I couldn't keep this from you, but you have to swear not to breathe a word to her or your other boys."

"You have my word; I wouldn't do anything that could jeopardize our kids coming home."

"Thanks, Bing."

"So, what the hell is this place? Kinda crazy how that tree just opened up in the middle of the woods.

"We've got to head back up; we've already been out here too long. I knew I was taking a chance by bringing you out here and telling you the plan, but it was the only place I could think to bring you where there is no surveillance to tell you everything. Ric begged me not to tell you, said it was too dangerous, but I couldn't keep it from you.

"Dylan, I really appreciate you telling me, truly."

So apparently The Capitol did some renovations a while back, but the workers were actually undercover rebels….

. . . . . .

~ Katniss ~

We have our private sessions with the gamemakers today. It goes in ascending order, which means we are very last to make our appearance, being from District Twelve. Haymitch says it is imperative that we impress them. Like above and beyond, knock it out the ballpark kind of impress them. We must be memorable if we want a decent score, and we need a decent score to get sponsors, and if we want to live, we need sponsors.

I think of the little girl who reminds me so much of Prim; I think her name is Rue, and I send positive thoughts her way. The career's normally score between an eight and a ten, so that is our goal. Neither Peeta nor I know what we will do once we get in there and decide to decide once we're in there. Ideally, if there is a bow and arrows available, I will impress them with my perfect accuracy.

While waiting to be called, we are not allowed to do anything else but sit and wait. For hours upon hours, we sit, and we wait. They bring us food. Peeta gives me a lesson on all the different types of bread from each of the districts. My favorite bread is the one with hints of maple syrup, to which Peeta informs me is from District Seven. Once my stomach is full, Peeta and I take a seat on the floor, leaning our backs against the wall. I rest my head on his shoulder and take a nap.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Approximately 15 Months Ago)

"Peeta, come on!" I grab Peeta's hand and guide him through the forest. I promised I'd bring him into the woods with me, and today after school seems as good of a time as any.

Once we're on the other side, I teach him how to climb a tree. We sat high up in my favorite willow tree and talked about everything and nothing for what seemed like hours. We laughed and joked around; I'm not sure the last time I laughed so much. However, I had to threaten Peeta after he discovered that I'm ticklish. We were having so much fun that we didn't notice the blackened clouds looming just above us.

"Katniss, I think it's about to storm" Peeta says, looking up towards the sky. "Come on, your house isn't that far! If we hurry, we may be able to outrun the storm." Peeta takes my hand and together we make a run for it.

Oftentimes when it rains, it starts off slowly and gradually the sky will get darker and darker until the rain begins. The rain starts off as a light drizzle, and progressively the rain will come down harder and harder. This was not the case today, as the sun was just out and shining brightly only twenty minutes ago. It's pouring rain, and we are both drenched.

We run faster, trying to get to my house. We must have been so focused on getting to my house as quickly as possible, looking straight ahead as we ran that we forgot to look down to watch our steps as well. I suppose we stepped in a puddle at the same time a bolt of lightning struck a tree.

In the blink of an eye, Peeta collapses to the ground. The moment I realize he is unconscious; I'm shaking him and screaming out his name.

"Peeta! Peeta! Peeta! Come on Peeta, get up" I'm shaking him and yelling at him, but nothing happens. My heart is racing, and my hands are shaking so intensely as I inspect Peeta's body; looking for an injury. The fact that I don't find a single trace of blood does little to ease my mind due to the fact that Peeta remains unconscious. The tree fell a good twenty to thirty feet from us, so I was sure it didn't hit him, yet I couldn't find the source of his unconsciousness. I try again to shake the consciousness back into him, not caring whether it is tears or rain falling from my face.

"PEETA, I SWEAR TO GOD, IF YOU DIE ON ME, I WILL KILL YOU MYSELF! I scream at him as I shake his lifeless body.

'What does mom do when one of her patients goes unconscious?' I ask myself, trying to pull the memory to the forefront of my mind. An image inundates my mind of my mom pounding on a person's chest at our kitchen table. It's all I can think of, so it's what I do. I raise my fist in the air and slam it down on Peeta's chest with everything I've got.

Suddenly, Peeta sucks in a deep breath and immediately begins coughing. Within seven seconds, Peeta is laughing.

"Do you hear the irony in that?" I wrap my arms around his body and lay my head on his chest, not caring one bit about the rain and begin sobbing. Peeta wraps his arms around me to in an attempt to comfort me.

"Don't you ever do that again, do you hear me, Mellark?"

"I'll do my best, but will you help me up? We're getting kinda wet out here." Peeta asks me. We're both soaking wet, covered in mud, leaves and grass as we make the walk back home. The rain has almost come to a complete stop as we reach my front door, but we're both alive and that's all that matters.

"Come inside so Mom can make sure you're ok." It's not a request.

The next day at school, Peeta had a math test that he was nervous about. I was across the hall in my 'Coal Mines of District 12' class, and I kept getting this sense of him freaking out a little, but I blew it off as me just being worried for him, since he asked me to quiz him on our way to school.

It happened again three days later, except I was at home with Prim, and he was at home with his family. I got this sense that he was scared, and then he was in excruciating pain. I'm not sure how I knew the sense was about him, but I just 'knew.'

On our way to school the next day, I noticed Peeta walking with a slight limp. After a lot of prying on my part he finally confessed that his mom shoved him, causing him to trip on a pile of clothes that Rye left in the middle of the floor, thus causing him to tumble down the stairs and twist his ankle. Peeta swore his mom didn't mean to shove him down the stairs, claiming the only reason for his tumble was due to Rye's laziness.

I told Peeta how I knew that something was wrong, this…sensing him thing, and he confessed the same thing happened to him, but about me. Ever since then, we always seem know when the other is feeling something strongly.

I tried telling Madge, but she laughed at me, saying I'm full of crap, chalking it up to mere coincidences. Peeta and I know it's real and decide to blame it on that stupid tree.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Katniss…Hey Kat." I sit up and feel Peeta rubbing circles on my back in his effort to wake me. "It's time…It's my turn, which means you're next." I stand up to hug Peeta for good luck before he leaves.

"Good luck" I whisper in his ear.

"I'll meet you back in the suite after?" He asks as I leave the safety of his arms. I nod my head and see him turn around to enter a room in which its' habitants will decide our fate. I don't take my eyes off him as he leaves, and when I see him turn around to face me, I can't help the giddy feeling that overtakes me.

"Shoot straight!" He mouths to me before turning back around.

Once he disappears from sight, I try to send him all of the positive, happy, calm feelings that I can muster.

. . . . . .

~ Dylan Everdeen ~

"Hey babe, how was work?" Lilly is waiting for me at our front door and greets me with a kiss; as she does every day when I get off work.

"You know, the usual." I respond nonchalantly as I remove my shoes before stepping inside. My amazing wife asks very little of me, which is why I don't complain about her 'House Rules'. Rule number one, and the most important in her opinion is, 'No outside shoes are allowed inside.' She says they are covered in germs, bacteria, grime, feces, and so much more; I don't doubt it.

"Your bath is waiting on you; towel and washcloth are on the side table."

"You're so good to me, Lil. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm glad you're mine." I tell her as I head into the bathroom to wash away the grime from the mines. She gives me her shy smile and smacks my ass playfully as she shoos me away.

I strip out of my clothes and toss them into the dirty clothes hamper and then slide into the hot bath she prepares for me each day after work. I decide to enjoy the hot water and soak for a while before washing.

( About 3 Weeks Ago )

After agreeing to take the trip to Thirteen, Haymitch loaded me up with a giant backpack full of enough supplies to get me there and back, in addition to some camping gear. Hopefully Thirteen will be able to spare some food and water when I'm ready to go home. He said it is a three-day hike on foot, and I'm at the end of day two, so it shouldn't be much further. As I'm debating whether to make camp for the night or to keep going, I see something that looks like floating lights up ahead. I continue walking, curious about these floating lights.

As I come up on the foreign objects, I realize they're not floating lights, but men with headlamps who are walking towards me. Prepared for an ambush, I keep my knife concealed while gripping it tightly in my hand.

"Dylan Everdeen?" The man who asks has a deep, commanding voice. As he walks closer to me, I can see that he's a tall man with dark skin, and even in the dark I can tell that he has no hair. He reminds me of a picture of this soldier I saw once in one of the girls' schoolbooks.

"I am Dylan Everdeen…and you are?" He sticks his hand out for me to shake.

"Lieutenant Mahershala Boggs. It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Everdeen. President Coin speaks very highly of you. May I help you with your bags?" I hand him one of my bags, too exhausted at the moment to protest.

"We've been expecting you Mr. Everdeen. If you'll follow me, President Coin requests a moment of your time before retiring to your quarters for the night. Mealtime ended at twenty-hundred, but if you're hungry we can have the kitchen whip something up for you."

I follow him through the woods of what I presume are the remains of District Thirteen. He leads us to an elevator right smack in the middle of the woods. I'm immediately anxious at the thought of being trapped underground once again, but I don't really have a choice, so I just suck it up. The elevator goes straight down for a second or two, and then I'm completely bewildered as it travels sideways.

Lieutenant Boggs leads me through what feels like a maze until we come to a door that says, 'President'. He opens the door for me, allowing me to enter ahead of him, and I'm greeted by a woman who appears to be in her mid forties, possibly early fifties with snow white, stick straight hair. She's an attractive woman, but something about her presence is frigid, sending a shiver up my spine.

"Welcome to District Thirteen, Mr. Everdeen. We're pleased to have you here. I'm sure you're exhausted from your travels, so I won't keep you long. I've arranged quarters for you during your stay here. Please feel free to use our restroom facilities at your leisure. Hannah here will show you around. Tomorrow at zero-seven-hundred we will reconvene to discuss the matter at hand." Wow, this woman is formal.

"Thank you, President Coin. Yes, I am exhausted and would love a bath, maybe a bite to eat and a good night's rest before I hear you out."

I am dismissed with Hannah as my guide. She gives me a consolidated tour, showing me the washroom where I can 'shower', the restroom, the laundry room and finally my quarters. She informs me that an attendant will drop my meal off shortly, and leaves me with that.

My 'quarters' is no more than a small room with a bed large enough for one person. A nightstand sits next to the bed, and on the opposite wall is a small dresser. As I don't plan on being here any longer than necessary, there is no need for me to unpack my clothes.

The shower is a luxury we do not have at home, and probably the only thing I am sure to enjoy about District Thirteen. My dinner is mediocre at best, but I didn't have to kill it, so I won't complain. Once my stomach is full, my body is clean, and I have clean clothes on, I'm more than ready for my head to hit the pillow, excited to sleep on an actual bed when there is a knock at my door. I get up, opening the door to my guest.

"Can I help you?" I ask the man.

"Mr. Everdeen, may I come in?" I open the door, inviting him in. Unlike my reaction to President Coin, I am immediately at ease with this man. He has a gentle smile and the warmest eyes I've ever seen.

"Okay, but who are you?"

"This is important Mr. Everdeen; you mustn't let the president know that I spoke with you tonight." My instincts warned me not to trust President Coin, as my gut is telling me that this man is trustworthy; and not once has my gut let me down.

"My name is Cinna."

. . . . . .

~ Peeta ~

I such a deep breath in and hold it as I count to ten, and then slowly exhale. It's a technique I use to calm my nerves, and they're pretty bad right now. As I'm standing in the elevator waiting as it takes its' precious time reaching the twelfth floor, I replay my private session over in my head. I either utterly impressed them, or I'm the joke of the day.

As a person who isn't afraid of an audience, it was a terrifying experience. The elevator doors finally open revealing Haymitch and Effie, which doesn't surprise me in the least.

"Well, tell us everything!" Effie gushes excitedly.

"Why don't we wait for Katniss so that I only have to tell the story once?" I suggest, hoping they'll agree.

"Okay, yeah." Haymitch mutters.

"Our dinner should be here in precisely one hour and twenty-seven minutes." Effie states matter of factly. Must she always be so 'precise'? I mean, seriously, what's the harm in saying 'an hour and a half'?

Suddenly, Katniss zooms past us, making a beeline straight to her room. She runs into her room and slams the door, clearly distraught about something. Haymitch and Effie both fix their eyes on me.

"Why are you guys looking at me like that?" I ask defensively.

"Kid, you're the only one who can calm her down, so go fix her." Haymitch glances at the television screen and then back at me. "Mandatory." He states.

I was going to go to her anyway, I could tell she was about to burst into tears. For the last hour or so, I've been sensing a flood of emotions exuding from her. I walk to her door, well our door since I haven't stayed in my room once, and I knock lightly on the door as I wait for an invitation. After a few seconds of silence, I knock again, and again there is no response. I wiggle the door handle and find it unlocked, and crack the door open just enough to poke my head in.

"Kat, can I come in?" I can tell she's going to be overly sensitive, so I have to tread lightly with how I proceed next. She is lying on the bed, her face squished into a pillow hiding her face. It's a defense mechanism of hers to keep anyone from seeing her cry. I sit down next to her, and rest my hand on the small of her back. "Want to tell me?" I ask her gently. She sits up to scoot closer to me.

"Peeta, I..-" She pauses for a moment. "What if they - what if they kill my family?" She manages to croak out, but then starts crying again.

"Shhh Katniss, I'm sure it wasn't that bad. I rub circles on her back to try and calm her. "Tell me what happened. I can't help you if I don't know what happened." So, she tells me.

"So, I grabbed the bow and arrows and shot at the target. I knew as soon as I released the string that something was off. I wasn't used to their bow, so I didn't hit the center. The game makers were laughing at each other and goofing around. I'm pretty sure they were drunk.

So, there I am, terrified out of my mind, trying to get their attention for a decent score that my LIFE depends on, and they're just ignoring me. Then, someone brings out this roast pig or whatever with an apple stuffed in its mouth. They were just ignoring me, and... oh my gosh it just made me so…so angry. Those assholes cared more about a stupid pig than me! So, while they were getting drunk and ignoring me I practiced with the bow, and when I had a good feel for it, I, I—"

"It's okay Katniss, you can tell me. Your words are safe with me." I promise her.

She smiles. "I know Peeta, I've never doubted that. So, once I was used to their bow, I hit the bullseye four times and they didn't stop to look once. I was, oh my god I was so angry, I could almost feel steam coming out of my ears. So…so, I shot the apple out of their stupid pigs' mouth, pinning the apple to the wall. It startled one of the gamemakers. Sent him tumbling backwards in the punch bowl." Katniss says, barely above a whisper.

I laugh so hard I have to hold my stomach, but I can't help it. "Katniss, that is brilliant! That's one way to make sure they remember you." I tell her.

"Yeah, well they seemed shocked. After that, I curtsied to them and said, 'Thank you for your consideration, Katniss Everdeen District Twelve.' And then I dismissed myself."

I pull her into a hug, then I pull back and tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear as I look into her eyes. I know she hates for me to see her cry, but her eyes are so beautiful after she's been crying. I lace my fingers around the back of her head and pull toward me until our foreheads meet and place a soft kiss against her lips.

Remembering that Haymitch and Effie are waiting for us in the main room, I decide not to hold her lips hostage for too long. "Listen Kat, they aren't going to punish you. They're throwing us into the arena in just a few days, I think that's punishment enough. And if they were going to punish your family, they would have to say what you did, and since they aren't allowed to reveal what you did for them, you're safe. So please, for me, please try not to worry." I stand up and grab her hand, pulling her up. "Now come on so Effie doesn't yell at us for holding dinner up."

. . . . . .

~ Katniss ~

I waited until Haymitch had two glasses of whatever alcohol he was drinking tonight before confessing what happened with the gamemaker's today. I was terrified to tell him, but his reaction was pretty much the same as Peeta's. He was actually impressed, which shocked me. Effie on the other hand, was completely and utterly appalled with my lack of respect. She said something about manners, but I stopped listening to her by that time.

After dinner, Haymitch turns the television on so that we can watch Caesar Flickerman reveal everyone's training score. It's not all that exciting; Caesar Flickerman announces our name, district, followed by our training score. He begins with District One and finishes with District Twelve. You can get between a one through a twelve; with one being the lowest and twelve being the highest. I don't think anyone has ever gotten a twelve in the history of the games, and then I wonder if anyone has ever received a one?

"I wonder if they've ever given a zero?" I blurt out and Haymitch gives me a questioning look.

"I guess we'll find out soon, won't we sweetheart?" I really hate it when he calls me sweetheart. Finally, Caesar appears on screen wearing way too much blue. His hair has been dyed a vivid electric blue, he's wearing a blue suit, blue socks, blue shoes, and a blue tie. I sense a theme here. Last year it was red; not just red, but deep crimson blood red.

Districts One, Two, and Four which are the career districts get their usual eight's and nine's. The boy who hates me from Two gets a nine. The fox faced girl from Five gets a seven. My heart glows when Caesar announces Rue's eight. I can't get over how tiny she is, she can't possibly be any older than twelve. Wow, I wonder what she did to get that high of a score? I'm not surprised that Thresh; Rue's district partner gets a ten. The anticipation is killing me as I wait for Caesar to announce our scores. I cross my fingers and hope that we get at least a seven, maybe an eight.

"And now, Peeta Mellark, from District Twelve, with an amazing score of...Wow, can you believe it folks, a TEN!" Caesar shouts with excitement

"Way to go kid!" Haymitch has a proud gleam in his eyes as he congratulates Peeta. Effie is bouncing up and down as she claps.

"And now, last but not least, all the way from District Twelve, the lovely Katniss Everdeen—" He says my last name more like 'Everdeeeeeeeen!' "—The Girl on Fire, with a score of...OH MY GOD FOLKS, with a score of an eleven!" Caesar boasts, seeming to exaggerate every vowel of each word. I'm speechless, I'm shocked, I'm amazed… I'm actually not sure what to think.

Effie and Haymitch are yelling, squealing, jumping, and hugging us.

"Good job sweetheart" Haymitch says to me, but his facial expression and his words do not match. I turn to Peeta, expecting him to be thrilled about our training scores and pull him into a hug.

"What did you do, Peeta? How did you get a ten? You did better than some of the careers!"

"Yeah, you never told us what you did." Haymitch says to me.

. . . . . .

~ Peeta ~

"You guys are just going to laugh at me." I can feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"Spill, Mellark." Katniss orders.

"I mean, it was really nothing special. Kind of stupid now that I think about it. Their eyes are fixed on me in anticipation, waiting for me to share my story.

I enter the room for my private session, the gamemaker's completely oblivious to my presence as they are laughing, joking, and goofing off with one another. Since they aren't paying me any attention, I decide to take advantage of their ignorance and look around the room to see what I've got to work with.

Lined up against the wall I see a set of knives, spears, dumb bells; I can't hide the grin from my face as I catch sight of the bow and arrows. It's in this moment that I am certain that Katniss will no doubt amaze these idiots.

I walk over to a one-hundred-pound dumb bell; remembering Haymitch's advice to show them my strength. I hesitate as I think 'none of this is me...Think Peeta, what is it that Katniss says you excel at like no other; my 'silver tongue.'

I decide to take a chance as I walk up to the platform. "Aghhhemmm!" I clear my throat quite loudly to get their attention. "Peeta Mellark, District Twelve." Startled by my rude interruption to their drinking game, they look at me, clearly amused.

"Proceed Peeta Mellark." I push my shoulders back and hold my head up high, hoping my posture will earn me some bravery as I take a chance.

"I know six different pressure points that can instantly bring you to your knees. You can either trust me, or I'd be more than happy to demonstrate for you, however, if I demonstrate, you may not wake up to remember any of it. I have memorized every edible plant as well as identify each poisonous plant, flower, and berry that will be in this arena from the edible plants center in training. I know which berry and leaf juices to combine to make pain medication as well as anti-infection medication." I pause for a moment, allowing the game makers to absorb my words. "That's all I've got." I tell them but stop myself.

"Don't count me out just because I'm from one of the outer districts, and if I made you stop and think that I could be a worthy ally for even a split second, think about what I can do when my life is being threatened. All I ask is that you take a moment to consider me, and I hope you will give me the opportunity to impress you in the arena, by giving me the score that you feel I deserve. Thank you for your time." One of the game makers begins to slow clap and the others immediately follow suit.

"Thank you, Peeta Mellark. I must confess, this is a first. I don't think we've ever had a tribute just talk to us. You are dismissed."

"So, yeah. I just talked to them." I say embarrassed. When I say it out loud, it sounds pretty pathetic.

"Impressive" Haymitch nods and he actually looks impressed. It's Effie's words which completely catch me off guard.

"Peeta Mellark, you are a brilliant and unique boy, and I must say that I am proud to call myself your escort!" Effie gleams at me.

"To celebrate, you guys have the rest of the night off. Now, get out of here!" Haymitch shoos us toward our rooms.

I grab Katniss' hand and ask her to follow me. After the stressful day we had, I think we deserve some alone time, as well as some much needed fresh air.

. . . . .

. . . . . .

~ Gale ~

I've been worried about Catnip all day. I mean, I've been worried about her since she left, but the training scores will be announced tonight, and District Twelve isn't known for handing out decent scores to their tributes. As long as she shows them what she can do with a bow, there is no doubt she will get a high score, but what if there isn't a bow? I'm so lost in thought that I almost miss my turn to get home.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see something shiny perched high up on one of the tree branches, but brush it off as the sun glaring in my eyes. As I walk past the tree I hear something fall from the tree, landing on the ground with a small 'thwack.' The noise is followed by a slew of curse words coming from they sky. "What the hell?" I say as I walk over to investigate.

It's probably just my imagination, or maybe it's the perfect juxtaposition of Madge's hair against the branches of the tree mixed with the way the sun hits it just right, but I don't think I've ever seen her look quite so breathtakingly stunning. My heart skips a beat at the sight of her perfect golden hair, and how it seems to glow in the afternoon sunlight.

"Madge, what the hell are you doing up there?" I yell to her as she starts climbing her way down, reminding me of a little monkey. Just by watching her perfect movements, I know this isn't her first time doing this.

As she climbs down, I take notice of the small rip on the sleeve of her shirt, as well as the smudges of dirt coating her face, and something in me stirs. Once she's about ten feet from the ground, she lets go, landing perfectly on her feet like an acrobat. She pulls a small notebook that was tucked in-between her back and her jeans.

"Did you see where my pen fell?" She asks me, ignoring my question.

"What the hell were you doing up there, Madge? I didn't know you could climb a tree." I ask her again, curious to know.

"I was writing, now are you just going to stand there or are you going to help me find my pen?" She drops to her hands and knees, searching for her missing pen.

"I'm sure daddy has more at home." I regret the words as soon as they leave my lips, unsure as to why I said them in the first place.

"Just go away Gale, I'll find it myself. And for your information, no there isn't another one at home, that was a special pen." Feeling guilty, I drop to my knees to help her find this 'special pen.'

"I'm sorry Madge, I don't know why I said that." Five minutes later, I catch a glimpse of something shiny and reach out to grab it, at the same time Madge sees it. Our hands collide in a race to retrieve the pen, but I'm a split second faster, and something in me has the urge to tease Madge.

"Can I please have my pen Gale?" Madge asks as we both return to our feet. I hold it up to my face, turning it over to inspect it.

"What's so special about it? Doesn't look particularly special to me."

"Gale, give it to me!" Madge demands confidently as she tries to steal it back from me. I raise my hand up, holding it high above my head in an effort to keep it from her. I'm nearly a head taller than her, and I know it's really immature, but I can't help it.

"Just tell me why it's so important and I'll give it to you."

"I…I…I can't Gale, please give it back to me!" Madge pleads, and that's when I see her eyes begin to pool with tears. Immediately, I place it in her hands and place my hands on either side of her cheeks.

"Hey, Madge, I'm sorry okay. I didn't…I'm uh…I didn't mean to upset you; I was just playing around." She drops to the ground placing her face in her hands and starts crying. Damn, this must be some pen if she's getting this emotional about it. My brain tells me to leave her alone, just walk away and let her cry in peace, but something else in me wants to know what's wrong, wants to comfort her.

The idiot in me follows the part of me that isn't my brain, and I sit down next to Madge on the ground. I place my hand on her back, rubbing small circles while she cries.

"Madge, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry. I didn't realize—" She immediately pulls her head from her hands and looks into my eyes, exasperated.

"I'm not crying because of you; you didn't make me cry. God Gale, you're so dense."

"So, why are you crying then? Something about me taking the pen upset you, and I want to know why."

"Why do you care? I thought you hated me." Her eyes are red-rimmed and puffy from crying, but I can't help but notice how clear her blue irises are. I also can't help but notice how beautiful she is. Has she always been this beautiful? Why have I never noticed this before?

"I…I don't know Madge, I just do. I care and I don't want to see you sad. You can trust me, you know. I've been known to keep a secret or two." I try to lighten the mood, but she jerks her head to look at me, examining my face for any hints of deception.

"Can I?" She asks.

"Can you what?" I ask her, already forgetting what we were talking about, distracted by her beauty.

"Trust you? Can I trust you?" I nod my head, mesmerized by the serious look in her eyes. She looks down at her pen as she rolls it in between her fingers, debating whether or not to confide in me. I'm guessing that someone special had given her the stupid pen, that it has sentimental value or some shit. I was not prepared for her next words.

"If you tell anyone Gale, you'll put us all in danger. If anyone finds out, they'll kill us." I nod, urging her to continue.

"This is a special pen, it's the only tool I have to decode the messages from the rebels. It's the most important thing I have to help bring Katniss and Peeta home."

Whew, pretty long huh? Please send me a review to let me know what you thought. Even if it's just a simple 2-liner 'Great Chapter', or 'Terrible Chapter' . You're reviews help me grow as a writer...I am all about positive criticism! I hope you guys have a great week, Chapter 6 should be posted on Saturday. 3