In my dreams I see mockingjays, scattered throughout the trees. I walk beneath them as they sing, warm sunlight caressing my back through the gaps in the trees. They sing Rue's tune, the familiar, beautiful, tragic notes of music filling every empty space in the forest, from hollow logs to rabbit burrows. I look around, almost expecting to see my friend after her death like I did with Brooke…but she never comes. Only the music remains and the memories remain. It isn't much but it'll have to do.

I begin to stir as I feel someone's weight shifting. I open my eyes groggily to see Katniss, quietly getting up and sneaking around me.

Oh, right.

Katniss.

We…cuddled each other again.

My foggy mind is preoccupied, trying to understand my equally foggy relationship with Katniss. It gives her the time she needs. She drops down onto the ground and begins to move away.

What the hell?

"Katniss?" I call out.

She stiffens at the sound of my voice and suddenly begins running without so much as a backward glance.

Son of a bitch.

I quickly gather my stuff and spring out of the tree after her, managing not to completely fall on my face as I hit the ground. Katniss picks up her pace and darts deeper into the forest, weaving between trees like a deer. Just like yesterday, I run after her.

"Katniss!" I call out, my feet trying to navigate the constantly uneven ground.

She doesn't answer and keeps running, getting further and further away. I put on another burst of speed and use my longer stride to my advantage. I'm not sure what she's up to, but I'm not losing another friend without at least figuring out why. The gap between us starts to narrow a bit. No matter how fast Katniss may be, I've got longer legs and better training. They used to make us run miles at a time back at the academy and no hunting escapades into the District Twelve forests can compensate for that.

Katniss disappears over one of the small rises scattered around this area of the forest. The arena almost seems like one big valley, sloping down to the cornucopia before rising toward the lonely mountain on the other side. I clamber over the rise and pause, seeing nothing but trees. Now where did she go? She couldn't have run out of sight already. I walk down among the grove, looking for tracks or some sign of my friend.

I never saw what she hit me with. All I know was that it was hard and that she smashed that hard object into the back of my skull with enough force to rattle my teeth. I collapsed onto the ground with a groan, my head feeling like it was tightening around itself, my pulse pounding like a hammer. I roll over and, like the time Cato hit me, I see three shaky outlines of Katniss standing over me. All look pissed.

"What the hell was that for?" I ask, focusing on the Katniss in the middle.

"What are you doing? Can't you tell I don't want to be followed?" she asks, her bow slung over her shoulder.

I put my hand on the back of my head, feeling the beginnings of a lump and a small amount of blood. "Where were you going?" I ask, wincing as I touch a particularly tender spot.

A little bit of the anger slips off Katniss' face and she sighs deeply. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm just leaving," she says.

My mind drifts back over the past few days and everything gets muddled. I almost wish she still acted like she hated me. At least then I'd have some consistency.

"But why?" I ask.

Katniss takes a deep breath, obviously holding in some obscenities before answering. "Why do think? Haven't you noticed what's going on? There's only seven tributes left," she says.

I pause for a moment, reality crashing into me like one of the Capitol's trains. The Games are indeed winding down and the probability of us having to fight each other is only increasing. Still, I don't want to fight her.

"So you don't want to be allies anymore," I say, wearily hauling myself to my feet with the help of my spear.

"It's not about what I want. It's just how it is. There can only be one victor," she says, her voice tinged with resignation.

God, I hate that rule so much. One victor. Twenty-three have to die for one to live. From the beginning, it was working against everyone I gave a damn about in this arena. Brooke, Rue…Katniss. They shouldn't get to do this to us, to force us to kill people we care about. Katniss, however, seems to accept it and I can feel my bitterness rising.

"That's just how it is, huh?" I say, looking at her blankly. She must sense some anger in my voice and looks uneasy, but nods nonetheless. "So why don't you kill me now?"

"What?" Katniss asks incredulously.

"Well, you said it yourself. There can only be one victor and I'm one of six people that needs to be disposed of for it to be you," I say, noticing Katniss take an uneasy step back, "If you really want to win, the smart thing would be to kill me now and save yourself a lot of trouble."

Katniss' bow stays on her shoulder and I can see the conflict playing out in her silver eyes.

"You already missed one opportunity. You could've just slit my throat in my sleep. That would've been a lot easier than this," I sneer, "So why didn't you?"

"Because I didn't want to!" Katniss fires back.

"Why the hell not? You seem pretty accepting of my fate," I press.

"Y'know most people wouldn't be so upset about not being killed!" Katniss retorts, eyes narrowing in anger.

"Most people would behave with some consistency!" I snap.

"What?" Katniss asks, not following my tangent.

I don't stop. This confusion has been building for far too long and I need to expel it. "I am so tired of you fucking with my head," I say, running a hand through my shaggy hair, "It's been eating at me for days."

"I never fucked with your head. Maybe that's just what your career training does to you," Katniss says, trying to hurt me.

I narrow my eyes at the career comment but let it go. "Really? You say you've never fucked with my head? All you've done is fuck with my head! One minute you're threatening to kill me, the next you're my ally. One minute you want to be alone, the next you're sleeping next to me. One minute you're trying to knock me unconscious, the next you're saying you never wanted to kill me. Can you understand how that might be confusing!?" I shout. I didn't even mention the fact that we kissed.

"What do you want me to say?" Katniss asks.

"I want you to admit whether or not you've been manipulating me all this time!" I say.

"I never manipulated you!" she shouts, now seething.

"Then how do you explain all that shit?! Good god, how do you explain the fact that we kissed!" I fire back, angry and wanting a direct answer more than anything else in the world.

"Why do you care so much?!" she retorts.

"Because I care about you!" I shout back.

Katniss doesn't answer but stares at me, wide eyed. The forest has gone completely silent around us. Not even the breeze makes a sound. It's then that I notice my clenched jaw and furious breathing. In spite of my anger, I feel better, like those five words were some poison that my body needed to purge.

"What do you mean?" Katniss asks quietly, almost like she doesn't want to ask but needs to know.

I sigh, trying to find the right words. "I…I care about you, Katniss. I care about you way more than I should, especially in here," I eventually say. It's not much, but it's the best I can do.

Katniss seems to get it because she looks away, avoiding my gaze. "Oh," she says before silence closes around us both.

"When did it start?" Katniss asks, looking up. "When did you start to feel that way?"

"I dunno. I always noticed you, but…I guess it just kept building the more time we spent together," I say, rubbing my chin and trying to pin down when my feelings for Katniss started.

Katniss doesn't answer and just looks tired. "Look, I'm sorry. I-I shouldn't have dumped that on you. I understand if you want to leave," I say.

"You're so dumb," Katniss mutters so quietly I almost don't catch it.

"What?" I ask.

"I said you're so dumb. Weren't you listening earlier? I don't want to leave. It's just how the Games are. You've been a good ally and…" Katniss trails off.

"And what?" I ask.

Katniss sighs before meeting my gaze, sharp silver eyes piercing my green ones. "And I know how you feel. I…I care about you, too."

My eyes widen and it feels like my heart actually swells at her words. It feels great to know that I'm not the only person who's gone crazy in here.

"But it doesn't matter. Only one of us can come out of this thing," Katniss finishes.

My euphoria crashes back down to earth like a malfunctioning hovercraft, shot down by cold, unfeeling reality. I grit my teeth behind my lips, wishing I had one of the gamemakers or, better yet, President Snow with me right now. I'd love to show him exactly what I think of that fucking rule.

"The longer we're allies, the bigger the chance of us having to kill each other. There's only a few enemies left. After that, we'll have to face our friends," Katniss says sadly.

It's true, as much as it pains me to admit it. My last friend has to leave soon, even though I know I'd never hurt her, just like I'd never have hurt Rue or Brooke. Five other tributes left and only three of them are actually dangerous. Then a realization hits me.

"Wait, I thought of something," I say.

"What?" Katniss asks.

"There's seven of us left right?" I ask.

"Yeah…" Katniss says, arching an eyebrow.

"I've watched a lot of film of the Hunger Games and this is usually the point when the gamemakers throw a feast, drawing us all in for some action," I say, recalling hours and hours of studying footage back at the Academy. Feasts are almost a constant in the Games. I can only recall a few years without them and those Games all ended quickly.

"Yeah. So what?" Katniss responds.

"Well, I'd feel a lot better about taking Cato, Clove and Thresh on if you were by my side," I say with a grin.

"You want to keep working together?" Katniss asks, looking skeptical.

"Just until after the feast," I say, "I think we'd both stand a much better chance of coming outta that in one piece if we work together."

Katniss mulls it over silently and my mind drifts back to the rooftop, where I first tried to convince her to be my ally with a lame sales-pitch. If not for the constant threat of death in this arena, I'd probably laugh. I might even revel in the nostalgia of better days, if only I could afford to.

"Just until after the feast?" Katniss says.

"Just until after the speech," I say, raising my right hand like I'm pledging allegiance to the flag of Panem.

"Okay," Katniss says, "We'll keep this going until after the feast. Then…we've gotta go our separate ways."

The last part hurts, but I ignore it, knowing its inevitability. My vision fogs a bit and I shake my head to clear it. The back of my skull is still throbbing, but I try to smile. At least my friend is staying a bit longer.

Katniss notices it and heads over, looking a bit guilty. "Here," she says, "Let me help you with that."

We spend the rest of the day gathering food. Katniss takes down a couple of the dumb birds Rue remembered from District Eleven. One of my snares adds a rabbit and I even manage to find a few wild onions. Holding them, I can't help but smile at the bittersweet memories, recalling my friend and what I promised, what Katniss and I both promised. Clove and Cato cannot win. I won't allow it.

We wait until dusk to make the fire, just to be safe. It feels a bit unnecessary with only three other dangerous tributes still out there. Hell, I doubt Thresh would take on two armed, deadly tributes on at once. Only Cato and Clove would have the gall to do that and, with Cato still not completely healed, I think it'd be anyone's fight. By Hunger Games standards, the food is excellent, warm and filling. I roast my rabbit leg over the fire as long as possible, savoring the crisp, nearly burnt meat. Katniss pulls a face as I let out a groan of satisfaction.

"I still can't believe you like it like that," she says with a slight chuckle.

"When someone else says it's nearly burnt, that's when I say it's perfect," I respond, taking another bite and groaning obnoxiously.

Katniss throws one of her bones at me, but, thanks to Rue's regular barrages, I dodge it easily. I respond by stealthily picking up one of the sticky rabbit bones lying beside the coals of our fire and throwing it back. It takes my friend completely by surprise, bouncing off her forehead and leaving her looking stunned. As I begin to laugh, I see her eyebrows narrow and her hand close around a small rock.

It goes that way for a while, laughing and trying our best to hit the other with whatever non-lethal projectile we can get ahold of. It'd probably be better to be silent and vigilant, watchful for whatever dangers may come our way. But I need this. This is the first time I've had fun in a long time. I've been lost in my own head for far too long, thinking nonstop about every possibility.

We sit beneath a large sycamore tree after night has fallen. The anthem plays and no face appear.

"Slow day," Katniss says.

"Yeah, I'd bet my spear that the feast will come in the next day or so," I comment, watching the vacant spot in the sky where the Capitol's seal had been.

The feast. I wish it'd stay farther away. But it will come, just like the Games did no matter how much I wished they would stay away. After that, I'll probably never see Katniss again…at least I hope I won't. If we see each other after that, it will probably be to fight.

"You think they'll all go?" I ask.

"To what?"

"The feast."

Katniss pauses for a moment, thinking. "Cato and Clove will be there for sure. Thresh probably will too, although I haven't seen him since the bloodbath."

"As far as I know, he's still in that field behind the cornucopia," I say.

"As for Foxface and Peeta, I have no idea," Katniss finishes.

"Foxface?" I say with a smirk.

"I never learned her name," Katniss says with a shrug.

"Me neither. I just remembered her as that ginger girl from Five," I say with a chuckle, "Although she does kinda look like a fox."

Katniss chuckles in return and for a moment there's quiet. I hear crickets chirping off in the darkness. Hopefully they're not bloodthirsty mutant crickets.

"I wonder what she's like," Katniss says to nobody in particular.

"Who?"

"Foxface"

I shrug. "I dunno. I suppose we'll never know."

"Sometimes I wonder what all the other tributes were like, even the dead ones," Katniss says softly.

"I get that. I've wondered what would have happened if we all could've known each other outside the Hunger Games. Maybe we all could've been friends," I say.

Katniss laughs a bit. "Somehow I don't think Cato and Clove would come around."

"Okay, maybe not them," I concede, "But with others, I think anything's possible."

Katniss is silent for a moment. "It certainly worked with us and Rue," she says quietly.

Sadness settles around us, pressing all its weight onto our shoulders, trying to make us fold in on ourselves. Whatever isn't pressing us into us is hanging in surrounding air like a persistent fog. In the sad darkness, Rue's ghost has become infinitely more real, still jumping through the trees above our heads, whistling her mockingjay tunes. I take calming breath before continuing.

"It did. It really did," I say looking at my hands, "But that's what I mean. Before the Games, before I met you and Rue, I never would've thought I could be friends with people from the outer districts. Everything just seemed too different."

"And now?" Katniss asks.

"And now I know that's just a bunch of bullshit. Me, you, Rue, the others. We're all just people, way more similar than we are different. We're all stuck in here, trying to survive. The only real difference is the distribution of food," I say.

Katniss nods in agreement and purses her lips. "I think they want us to think we're all different, too different to ever work together."

"I think we've managed to disprove that," I say with a grin that Katniss returns.

"Have you ever wondered what might happen if we all just didn't go along with it?" Katniss asks.

"Go along with it?" I question, somehow sensing something ominous in Katniss' tone.

Whatever it is, must be dangerous because Katniss leans in to whisper in my ear, where the Capitol can't hear the dangerous words slip from her mouth like poison. "I mean what if we all just didn't kill each other? What would they do then?"

I look at her, arching an eyebrow before whispering in her ear. "They'd probably just blow us all up or sic the mutts on us," I answer, bitterly recalling how the gamemakers hold our lives in the palms of their hands, so powerful they can squash us for having disagreeable conversations. Hell, this conversation alone is about as safe as tap dancing through a minefield.

"They have to have a victor," Katniss whispers, "Somebody has to be left standing or else there'd be chaos. Could you imagine a Hunger Games without a victor?"

I can't because it's never happened. The Hunger Games always has a victor and the tributes always kill each other. Always. There's hardly ever any hesitation. Every now and then you'll get a bleeding heart tribute that piously refuses, but they never make it past the first day. If you want to make it, you have to be willing to take a life, to give up a piece of yourself.

"No, I can't," I whisper back, "But it's too late for all that anyway. Cato and Clove practically lust after death and I doubt Thresh will be converted at the last moment."

Katniss sighs, probably knowing the truth in my word, and leans back, away from ear. I can't deny that I miss the close proximity.

"Besides, don't you want to see your sister again?" I ask.

Katniss looks pained and meets my gaze. "Don't you want to see your brother again?"

I look away and watch the stars again. "Only one of us will ever go home again," I say, feeling the sadness tightening around us with its infinite strength. This time, it isn't letting go.

I don't know when we fell asleep. All I know is that we did, once again next to each other. The familiar peace that it always gave me, the nightmares it always denied, was scattered just before dawn by the sound of the anthem thundering across the arena.

"What's going on?" I mumble, automatically reaching for my spear.

"Some big, big news," Katniss mutters, eyes suddenly sharp as talons and alert.

"Attention Tributes!" booms Claudius Templesmith's voice, making its first appearance since the start of the Games, "We have an important announcement. For the first time in Hunger Games history, there has been a rule change."

A rule change? It's the Hunger Games. There are no rules aside from kill each other and last person still sucking air wins.

"The previous rule allowing for only one victor has been…amended. Two victors, a male and a female one, will now be permitted. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor," Claudius finishes, immediately replaced by the sounds of the forest.

This can't be real. This has to be a dream. My face breaks out into a grin as I turn towards Katniss, who looks as happy and elated as me.

"We can both win!" I say excitedly, "We can both go home!"

We both laugh purely, a laughter of genuine happiness, unmarred by hidden intention or sarcasm or bitterness. Before I know it, we've embraced each other in a hug and I savor the feeling of Katniss' body pressed into mine. Maybe things can work out for me. Maybe the audience really liked the idea of our friendship, and possibly something more, blossoming. Anything and everything is possible now.

"I can't believe it," I say, ecstatic beyond all reason, especially with a lot of Hunger Games still to play.

"Me neither," Katniss mumbles into my chest before laughing again.

I close my eyes and chuckle. "Everything's gonna work out now. I just know it," I say, feeling the steady rhythm of Katniss' heartbeat against my own. They are synchronized.

Suddenly, I feel Katniss force herself out of my arms. I open my eyes to see her stepping away, looking like she's just been shot. All the happiness on her face moments ago has been stripped away, leaving only a horrified foundation.

"What?" I ask, arching an eyebrow and chuckling nervously.

Then she says one word that strips my face of all happiness as well.

"Peeta."

A/N: These poor kids cannot catch a break. There's nothing harder in the Hunger Games than actually caring about another tribute. Decisions must be made and each one will have consequences for our hero.