The following day is absolutely beautiful out. It is the quintessential summer day. It's the kind of day you dream about in the dead of winter. Peeta drags an easel and some paints outside. Haymitch and I sit on the porch, arguing over whether he should cut his hair. At this point it's skimming his shoulders. "You look like an ugly woman, Haymitch." He chuckles at me and sips his coffee.

Johanna is sprawled on the grass of the lawn. Gale sits next to her, tossing little stones into a bucket a few yards away. We've all been too lazy to do anything all day. I would have hunted this morning, but I was worried Gale would trail me into the woods so instead Peeta showed me how to make muffins with the blueberries I picked in the Meadow. I pretended to pay attention, but really I just watched his hands as they mixed the batter. He scolded me when I scooped my finger in the bowl and then stuck it in my mouth.

"It's sweet. It's almost like cake batter." I flash him a smile in an attempt to get out of a lecture.

"It's got raw eggs in it, Katniss. Do you want spend the night throwing up? Because I certainly don't want to spend it holding your hair," he retorts.

I scowl instead. "Who said I'd let you hold my hair?" I turn on a heel and greet the outdoors. Hours later, I watch him painting. The sun makes his eyelashes almost translucent.

"Like the view?" Haymitch elbows me. "Here, let me find a napkin so you can wipe that drool off your face."

I stick my tongue out at him and get up. I cross over to Peeta to see what he's painting. I drape my arms across his shoulders and he nuzzles into the crook of my elbow. Our foreheads meet, and I mouth, "Hi."

Peeta mouths "Hi" back. He's still unsure if he's allowed to kiss me outside. In front of people. I'm unsure too, so instead I stand up and tousle the blonde mop on his head.

"You need a haircut, too." I say. I see Gale watching us out of the corner of his eye. I'm trying not to be cruel, but he's the one that showed up here. I'm not going to change my life to spare the feelings of the man who is the reason my sister isn't alive.

"Will you add Prim?" I ask Peeta, looking at his painting. "Twirling in the sun?"

He smiles at me, "Absolu-" Peeta's face drops. He looks as though he's seen a ghost. His eyes are feral, tears streaming down his face as he falls backward trying to escape.

"Peeta, what's wrong?" That's when I see it. With the flit of a wing, a tracker jacker dives into Peeta's arm. I feel like I'm watching in slow motion as the adrenaline takes over his body. The rest of our crew is just now realizing what's happened as Peeta falls to the ground. No amount of soothing words are going to keep him here with me. This is biology. Peeta's wild eyes flash up and in an instant he's on top of me. Not like last night. Not lingering his mouth on my jaw. Fists start flying. He's clawing at my face as I am screaming and kicking and trying to pull away.

I've seen Peeta take out a dozen Peacekeepers, but now Peeta is surrounded by 3 Victors and a war hero. There is no end to this where someone isn't seriously hurt. Gale reaches us first and latches on to Peeta. He thrusts backward with all his might, but Peeta swats him away as if he were a sack of flour. Gale flies to the side, rolling on the ground. Johanna dives for Peeta's legs, which is smart. She's always been a brilliant fighter. If she can manage to take out his prosthetic he'll be much less mobile, but he brings a knee to her face and her nose bursts with blood. I manage to pull myself away from him. Maybe I can draw him somewhere safer, and we can trap him until he comes down. I watch Haymitch reach for the tranquilizer darts in his back pocket just in time to see Peeta to collapse on the ground.

"Did you shoot him?!" I cry out to Haymitch.

"No!" he says back.

I run for Peeta, but Gale grabs my waist and pulls me back.

"LET GO OF ME!" I scream. Elbows are swinging and I crack him in the rib. Gale's arms fall from my sides and I reach Peeta. I turn him over. His face is covered with dirt. He's not breathing. He's not breathing. "HE'S NOT BREATHING!" I'm flashing back to Finnick, pumping Peeta's chest and I do the same. I have no idea how fast or how many times to do this between plugging his nose and breathing into his mouth. My lips on his, but not like last night. My hands are on his chest, but not like last night. I'm desperate now, sobbing and pumping and screaming at him. "You said you'd stay with me. STAY WITH ME!"

Johanna is at my side. "They're sending a hovercraft. Just keep going."

I set everything aside and focus. Breathe. Pump. Pump. Pump. Pump. Breathe. Pump. Pump. Pump. Pump. I feel like hours pass, days, centuries. My mouth on his. Breathe. Pump. Pump. Pump. Pump. Suddenly a silence surrounds me. The birds have stopped singing, and a hovercraft descends from the sky, landing in the street between our houses. My mother comes running out, followed by a medical crew. She reaches Peeta and me and drops to her knees.

"How long has he been down?" she asks. I can't answer. I can't stop. I just keep pumping. "Katniss, how long has he been down?!"

"15 minutes, maybe 20?" Johanna answers.

"Okay, we're gonna take him from here." My mom inserts herself between us and I'm a lunatic. Gale holds me back and I beat his chest and sob.

"I'm coming with you!" I cry out.

"You know you can't do that, sweetheart. You can't leave 12," Haymitch takes my arm. At that, I'm rabid. I'm clawing and beating and biting and punching my way toward Peeta, but the medical crew loads him into the bay of the hovercraft and take off. We are left there in its wake.

The sun is beaming in the sky. The birds resume their song. The wind is a gentle breeze that flows softly through my hair. The clouds are puffy and white. My glass of lemonade perspires on the porch. The primroses fill the air with a sweet aroma. Children laugh and play in the distance. The earth is turning and the tides are shifting and time is pulling forward...

And Peeta is gone.