Ricochet

Chapter 10: The only thing that matters

Author: Carla, aka cali-chan
Rating: Most likely PG-13. Nothing worse than what's in the books.
Genre: Adventure/suspense/drama/romance... again, pretty much what's in the books.
Pairings: Peeta/Katniss, Rory/Prim... and probably others. You'll see soon.
Canon/timeline: Same-context AU- this fic still happens in the same world as THG, but the actual events in the books never happened. I'm adding about five years to the characters from the age they were at the beginning of The Hunger Games. Katniss is 21.
Disclaimer: Yeah, just let me go get my transfer laser and switch bodies with Suzanne Collins.

Note: I've never really tried this before (and I'm sure it will eventually come back and bite me in the behind), but each chapter will be from the PoV of a different character. You should be able to tell whose PoV it is fairly easily, though.

Summary: "Primrose Everdeen." This can't be happening, Katniss thought. She desperately pushed through the crowd. I volunteer!, she wanted to scream. I volunteer as tribute! But she couldn't, because she wasn't eligible for the reaping anymore. There was nothing she could do.

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Katniss was startled into wakefulness as the train shook a little harder than usual against the tracks; it made the entire box they were sitting in rattle and it was enough to pull her out of her already light sleep. She groggily ran the heels of her hands over her eyes and turned to look at Peeta, who was sitting against the opposite face of the box, a few feet away from her. For a second it occurred to her that she might have marks on her face from falling asleep against the wood, but then again at this point looking silly for a little while was the least of her problems.

Peeta noticed her movement and smiled at her. "Hey. I was actually going to wake you up in a few minutes." He didn't look tired at all and she couldn't help but resent him a little for it.

She'd been teetering in and out of sleep since they left District Twelve. She hadn't slept a wink the previous night, still thinking of the events of the day and worrying about their escape plan. But she couldn't run on anguish forever and since they were going to be stuck inside a wooden box for who knew how long, it seemed like the best place to finally crash.

Peeta generously told her to go ahead and sleep; he'd keep watch and wake her up if he heard anything strange. Normally she wouldn't cede control to someone else like that, not when it came to her own safety, but she figured she was a light sleeper anyway so she'd most likely notice if anything was off earlier than Peeta would, even while half asleep.

As she got comfortable enough to sleep (thankfully their box was wide enough to let her sit with her legs fully stretched, unlike Peeta), she asked him, admittedly a little curious, how come he wasn't sleepy at all. He reminded her he was a baker, so he was used to getting up every day at four in the morning, unlike most other people. Of course she should've figured, as it used to be the same for her. A few years ago, getting up so early wouldn't have bothered her, as she used to go out as soon as the sun came up to hunt. Now that she didn't have school, though, she hunted later and had gotten out of the habit of getting up at the crack of dawn. That was weighing against her now.

They all had to get up incredibly early to put Gale's plan into action. She'd met him and Peeta at the east entrance to the mines, near the slag heap. Gale had talked to someone in the warehouse staff to let him have the key to the main outgoing warehouse for a few hours. He assured them the man wouldn't think anything of it; it wasn't the first time Gale came to him with that request. Katniss didn't ask why he needed access to the warehouse so often that the person in charge thought it normal, and Gale didn't volunteer the information.

The main outgoing warehouse was where they stored the coal that would be immediately shipped out to the districts. The place was sure to be empty at night; the only security was the lock, though Gale thought the rest of the building might be rigged to set off an alarm if anyone tried to break in. But either way they had the key, so that wasn't a problem.

To the side of the building, there was a conveyor belt, which was used to transport the coal from huge mounds on the floor, to their shipping containers. Since Twelve was largely forgotten in the grand scheme of Panem economy, they didn't get any advanced technology to transport the coal, just big boxes, three and a half by three and a half by three and a half, and made out of wood, which they imported from District Seven. And it was those boxes they needed.

The plan was just simple enough, or perhaps crazy enough, that it may work: they would get inside one of the boxes, with enough food and water to last them a couple of days. Gale would then secure the lid, and come morning the workers would come in with cranes and forklifts to load all the packed boxes on the train, just like they did on every other shipment day.

"Well, it's a good thing neither of us are afraid of enclosed spaces," Peeta had commented as they stood and looked at the box that would house them for the next day and a half or so. Then he had paused and turned to look at her. "Wait. You aren't, right?" he asked, sounding a little apprehensive.

She wasn't, or at least she'd never been in the past. Frankly, she did find herself dreading spending so much time in such enclosed quarters. Her father had died inside a mine shaft; this wasn't the same, and they could get out easily if they needed to, but it still made her a bit queasy. Still, if that's what it took to get to Prim, she'd push the anxiety to the back of her mind as best she could. She had to.

At that point Gale, who was completely disinclined to find anything Peeta said funny, interrupted her before she could make any comments. He handed Peeta a heavy hammer and told him to keep it close; they would need it to open the box if they had to. They didn't know if the train would go straight to the Capitol or if it there were stops in the districts, so if they had even an inkling something was off, they'd be forced to get out of the box and make a run for the passenger compartments.

While Peeta dropped their supplies bag, Katniss' bow and arrows and a small battery-powered lantern Gale had procured for them into the open box, Gale turned to her, serious. "Don't do this," he said. This whole plan with the box had been his, but apparently he had to try one last time to convince her not to go. "Give me a couple of days to find someone to take care of my family, and I'll go with you. Just... just wait for me."

It was hard for her to take how earnest he sounded. In all honesty, it was hard for her to do this, too. Her and Gale had been a team for years, and there was no one else she would rather have guarding her back. But she knew it had to be worse for him to see her off. For him, there was more behind this than just partnership. She didn't like to think about it but inwardly she simply couldn't ignore the fact that he loved her.

For a moment she wished she could reciprocate; he deserved it. But her feelings about romance and relationships hadn't changed, and right now the only thing that mattered was Prim. She didn't want to hurt him, but there was no other way. She shook her head. "I have to do this. I'm sorry."

He tried not to let the disappointment show, but she knew him, and she knew it was there. Still, he only nodded. "Be careful," he reminded her. She threw her arms around his broad shoulders. He was unfailingly solid and stable, and she tried to draw strength from that, try and overcome the fear that tugged at her from the inside. He held her tightly by her waist. They were both aware this could be the last time they ever saw each other.

After that, the only thing to do was to get in the box. Peeta, who had been standing quietly by the box waiting for them to say their goodbyes, gave her a boost as Gale went to get everything he needed to get the lid on. A few hours later the train was departing the station, and now here they were.

Peeta had continued speaking while she was remembering. "Sorry I started eating without you," he said, signaling the piece of cracker he held in his hand. Unsurprisingly, most of their food consisted of baked goods, along with a few bottles of water; just enough to sustain them for about two days. "I was hungry," he admitted a little sheepishly. "I think it may be past dinnertime. Do you want anything?"

She extended her hand to him and he handed her a few crackers and an unopened bottle of water. She took a few gulps of the water first, just small ones, because they had to make sure to ration everything. Once Peeta finished his food, he raised his legs up so that his feet were supported high against the wooden surface in front of him; the box was so small, it was the only way he could stretch his legs. Katniss didn't miss that. "Maybe if I move a little to the side you can stretch them diagonally," she offered as she split one of her crackers in two.

He shook his head. "Nah, that's okay," he said, like it didn't even bother him. "I just have to move my legs every once in a while, so they don't fall asleep," he added with a small shrug.

She studied his profile on the low light. He was doing it again, that thing where he dismissed his own discomfort like he didn't want to bother her. She'd seen him do that before, when he told her to go to sleep while he stayed up. She didn't like it. She wished he would just complain if he wanted to. He should be able to do at least that, since he was risking so much with this plan as it was.

Come to think of it, she surmised, his volunteering to come with me was probably another example of that. Surely he was worried about his mother and brother back in Twelve; she knew their well-being weighed on him ever since his father died, yet he'd barely considered them, or what could happen to them if this plan of theirs went awry, when he made the decision to come with her. She couldn't understand how anyone could do that.

She must've been staring at him for too long, because he turned his head and, curious, asked her what was wrong. She knew she couldn't say it was nothing after gaping at him like that, so she figured she might as well ask. "Why are you here?" At his confused look, she expanded the thought. "You didn't have to do this, you know. You didn't have to put yourself in danger like this just to help me." She frowned. "We're not even friends. Not really."

He seemed taken aback by her words and she wondered if she had offended him. Sometimes her bluntness made it seem like she was throwing things back in people's faces, even when she didn't mean to. But then his eyebrows lifted a little, almost like he was amused. "Well, I guess this is as good a time as any to get to know each other better," he quipped, with a small smile. "Unless you have other plans for the twenty-four or so hours we still have of being stuck inside this box, of course," he said, jokingly.

She recognized it as an attempt to lighten her serious mood. She didn't laugh. He hadn't answered her question. Noticing her expression (or lack of it), he must've realized it wasn't working and instead took a moment to think about what to say. "It's only been a few weeks, but I've really grown to care about Rory and Prim," he started. "They're good kids, they deserve the best."

"Half the kids in Twelve are great," she shot back, not really buying it. "But you wouldn't risk your neck like this for just any good kid."

He chuckled, and she wondered if he found her insistence funny. "I guess I wouldn't," he conceded. "But it's the principle of the thing," he continued, his expression sobering up. "The day I turned nineteen... it was the happiest day of my life. I wasn't eligible for the reaping anymore, and I didn't have to worry about anyone else in my family being chosen."

She hoped he was going somewhere with this, because being reminded of how much better his life was than hers wasn't making her feel any better. Still, she let him go on. It wasn't like she was in a rush or anything. "But then I realized that even if my family was off the hook, I still have to see other people around me suffering." He frowned, shaking his head. "That just... I can't stand it."

"I kind of see Rory and Prim as the younger siblings I never had," he confessed, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "I couldn't stand to see them get hurt. You know how that goes." Of course she knew. Her sister was the most important person in her life. He took a deep breath before continuing. "So if this is my only chance to help stop the Hunger Games... or at least these Hunger Games... then I'm going to take it," he concluded, determination coloring his words.

She took in his expression: the line here his brows met, the way he pressed his lips together, how clouded his eyes were as he looked down at the wood between them. He seemed genuinely upset, and it was hard to think he was anything but sincere, even if such sensitivity seemed completely unfathomable to her. Surely no one could be that noble... Yet for a second she saw him again, that boy who gave her the bread that saved her life, even if it meant suffering a beating, and she knew. He really was that good a person; anyone else might have doubts but she knew he was.

And it made her feel guiltier than ever for having dragged him into this mess. Gale, she would have chosen to guard her back in a second. They worked well together, a team down to their very survival instinct. But Peeta was a baker, and really had nothing to offer to the plan, not in the way of skills or even connections. The only reason he was here was because Gale had responsibilities to uphold back at Twelve. The only reason he was here was so she wouldn't be alone. "You shouldn't have come," she sentenced gravely. "This is my problem." Having finished with the crackers, she felt like she had nothing to do with her arms, and decided to cross them around her torso.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him turn to look at her neutrally, much like she had done to him a minute ago. "You said that yesterday," he remembered. His hand played with a small splinter in the wood right beside him. "You said the same thing to Gale. What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that I have to fix this because it's my fault," she snapped at him. She felt a little bad for treating him this way, because she knew he was just curious, but she hadn't meant to actually answer his question and the frustration came through in her words.

His brow furrowed just barely. "Why would it be your fault?" he wondered out loud. "You can't control who gets reaped." His tone made it sound like he thought the mere idea was absolutely preposterous, laughable. Or at least it made her feel that way.

Of course she knew that. Almost with a huff, she turned her entire torso, as best as she could, to the side, so she wouldn't have to look at him. She didn't need him to point out the obvious. She wasn't stupid; she knew there was nothing she could do to stop Prim from being chosen. It was everything else she failed to do that really bothered her.

"Katniss, are you okay?"

It was useless. She couldn't just leave this place, there was about half a foot of space between them and even if she wasn't looking at him, she felt his eyes on her. It made her uncomfortable. It always made her feel strange when he looked at her like that. "I know how to hunt, and how to defend myself," she started, still feeling a little angry at herself that she was saying these things out loud. "I can take a risk like this. My odds are better. But... I never taught her."

There was silence for a minute, almost like he was processing this information. Then, he spoke: "Why didn't you?"

She shook her head. "I tried," was her response, a little defensive. "Back when our mother was still alive, I took her to the woods and showed her how I shot a small critter." She reminisced back to that day; she could remember it like it was yesterday and it only made her feel worse. Who would've thought things would get so bad that she would actually miss the days when they didn't know when their next meal would even be? Somehow those seemed simpler, now. "She started crying, and then she actually asked me to help her heal the thing. I figured she just wasn't cut out for it."

She leaned her hair against the wood and thought of Prim. She wasn't sure where she'd be right now- maybe they would've already arrived at the Capitol. She hoped she was okay. She hoped she was strong. Katniss had no doubt Prim could win over the hearts of sponsors and the audience alike. She was like sunshine. Everybody loved Prim. But the idea of her sister, her sweet, delicate sister who wouldn't even hurt a small creature if it helped her survive, in that arena... it chilled her blood.

She noticed Peeta had made no comment about it, which she thought was strange. Hadn't he just told her he cared about Prim? She turned her head back to look at him and found he'd brought his legs down and was resting his forearms on his knees. He was also smiling. "It's not funny," she retorted sharply, annoyed. She didn't know what there was to smile about. "I should have kept trying. She needed to toughen up."

"I'm not laughing at you, I promise," he hurried to clarify, raising his hands in the air as if surrendering. The corners of his lips were still curling up. "I was just thinking that... you have this idea that you've done wrong by Prim, but I think you did a great job raising her." He sounded impressed, like he couldn't believe what he was saying. "I mean, you were just a kid yourself. It's amazing."

She still felt irritation bubbling up inside her, but his words gave her pause. She'd never actually thought of herself as having "raised" Prim. She kept her fed, always made sure they had a roof over their heads, and did everything she could to make sure she always felt safe and happy. But apart from that, everything that was good in Prim, was Prim's alone. And she let him know that.

He shook his head emphatically. "Don't underrate yourself. It's obvious she really looks up to you. She wants to be strong, like you." He smiled at her again, and this time she didn't feel prickly about it. "Look, Prim is a sweet girl. She's... innocent. But maybe that's not a bad thing," he declared. "I mean, isn't that the worst part of the Hunger Games? Not only do they force kids to kill each other, but even to us who are just watching, they... they take away our innocence." He seemed to be talking to himself more than to her, but she was hanging onto his every word either way.

"And the fact that, even after everything you guys have been through, she still retains that innocence..." he continued. "The fact that she can still feel hope, the fact that she cares so much about everybody and everything even in this horrible world we live in... That's incredible." He lifted his eyes to hers, the blue color dark in the soft light. "And that's all because of you, Katniss."

She barely heard what he said last. She needed him to stop talking. She needed him to stop talking because that was Prim, that was exactly Prim, and it made her miss her little sister so much it was almost a physical pain. She shook her head. "Innocence won't help her in the arena," she spat out, her fear turning her bitter. Her throat felt tight. "If Prim dies because I didn't teach her-"

"She's not going to die," he interrupted her, sounding more assertive than she had probably ever heard him. He reached out a hand and laid it on top of her wrist, his hold steady. It was the first time he had ever touched her, other than the boost he gave her to get inside the box a few hours previous. He was still looking at her. "Maybe she can't hunt or fight. That's fine. She'll find another way."

He sounded so sure. In her head she knew he was being too idealistic, refusing to look at the facts. If they did nothing, Prim's odds of survival were slim to none. She knew that. She couldn't believe him, no matter how certain his words. But she wished she could. So desperately. "Besides," he continued, letting go of her arm, "if she can't, then that's what we're here for. I'm risking my neck by coming with you, right? I've come too far to fail now."

There was a mischievous glint in his eyes, and this time she almost smiled, despite herself. That was clever of him, using her own phrasing to get her thinking positively. He had talent with words.

It wasn't enough to convince her; she knew it was her fault, and there was nothing he could say to change that. But he had reminded her of something else. Something she was sure of when she was with Gale just that morning, but somehow in the hours that followed, with too much time for her mind to plague her with nightmares, too much time to think, she had lost sight of it. But it was still there: what she did or failed to do, it didn't matter now. The only thing that mattered was Prim. And whatever the odds, she was going to get her sister out of that arena.

She switched her position back around, so she wouldn't have to look at him over her shoulder. He seemed satisfied with that. "You should get some rest," he suggested as he rested his head against the wood at his back. "I saw that you weren't sleeping very deeply before."

"I never sleep very deeply," she pointed out. "And I've already been out too long. It's your turn."

"Oh, I'm going to sleep, too," he let her know, as he put a cap on his water bottle and stored it in one of the pockets of their supplies bag. "It's getting late. Things have been quiet so far and I'm thinking they'll probably stay that way until morning." She handed him her own bottle of water and he made sure to zip everything up, so that their stuff wouldn't end up rolling from side to side during the night. "Besides, if anything does happen, you'd be able to notice before I do." Well, that was certainly true.

He tried to stretch the muscles in his neck for a minute, before resting his head back against the box. "You don't mind if I turn off the lantern, do you?" She let him know she had no problem with it, and out went the light.

The last thought that crossed her mind before succumbing to sleep was that he really shouldn't have come with her. Rationally, she still would choose Gale as her partner for this journey, if it were possible. But even so, she was glad she wasn't alone.

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Author's notes!-

As I'm sure you know, this isn't really the way coal is transported in real life. And looking at the "Capitol Coal" train cars in the background in the reaping scene, I'm fairly sure this isn't the way coal is transported in the Hunger Games movie, either. However, my plot required them to be able to hide somewhere among the coal, where they could get in/out easily in the case of an emergency, without being buried IN the coal. So I had to take some artistic license with it. In my head it's not that big a jump from distributing raw coal to distributing packed coal, and it's never struck me like the districts of Panem do much outsourcing, but I know nothing about business so I could be wrong. I hope it doesn't stretch your suspension of disbelief TOO much.

Meanwhile, I wanted to thank you all for the support you've given this fic! As of last chapter, Ricochet is on the favorites list of over 100 people, and on story alerts for over 200 people. That's amazing, guys! You're blowing my mind here. Even so, remember the best way to let me know how you like my fic is to leave a review! In fact, here are some other reasons why you should review:

1. Because you can give me suggestions and/or constructive criticism so that I can make this fic better.

2. Because my mommy said I'm special and you should love me.

3. Because I'm kinda stupid like that, so when people ask me questions or leave speculation of what they think is going to happen in a review, I always end up giving out spoilers for later chapters when I reply. I'm not kidding! I try to be sneaky and keep the suspense up and stuff, but then I can't help myself and I always end up kicking myself for saying too much. So if you want to get SOME info out of me, the best way to get it is to ask me in a review.

This wasn't a Peeta PoV, but I hope you're satisfied with the amount of Peeta and Peeta/Katniss interaction in this chapter! I know y'all were waiting for it, so I hope you liked it. See you next time!