A/N: Hello all! I know I said it'd be a week, but what can I tell ya, I missed you and I missed writing for you! I must say that I am so happy with the feedback I'm getting, I do a little happy dance every time I get a review/favorite/follow :D Seriously, it makes my day whenever I see a new review. So please, keep it up, and I love the feedback, it helps me construct the story. Speaking of which, I now have a solid outline of where I'm going with the story, and I have to tell you I am VERY excited about it. I know I left you with a lot of suspense with the return of the Careers, and it's all part of my diabolical plan! *cue evil laugh* haha, but in all seriousness, I have to say that I think you will all really like where the story is going. Now, I know you are all dying to know what's going on with said Careers... and I hope you don't hate me, but they aren't going to be a real presence for the next few chapters. Sure, they'll get mentioned and referenced, maybe a cameo on TV or something. But the next several chapters will be a lot of character/relationship building, intertwined with some comedy too, but fear not when the careers do make their return more apparent, it will be HUGE. To the extent, I really doubt any of you will see what's coming ;). With that said I tell you that the next few chapters will play a big role in the story arc when the Careers come, so pay attention. I give you chapter nine!

Change of Fate

Chapter Nine: Growth

Katniss

I've settled into a routine here in 13. I wake up early. Peeta and I then spend a while talking before we go and get breakfast. Then we go to training for a few hours, which often pushes me so hard that I want to throw up. Then I go hunting, which helps me in the same ways it always has. It centers me. It calms me. It's my meditation. It lets me be free while I'm cooped up in the confines of District 13 that are seeming more like a prison every day. When I return from hunting, I drop off my day's catch in the kitchens, where I get to see Peeta for a little bit while he's on break. He greatly enjoys working in the kitchens. It's a far cry from the bakery, and he doesn't get to frost cakes or anything special like that, but cooking is his meditation. It's what centers him, and calms him, just like hunting does for me. He also enjoy helping people. He's such a good person, deep in his core, it's hard to find someone like that. He's uncorruptable in that way. No one can take his goodness away from him... I sigh dreamily at this. Anyways, after I leave the kitchens, I go home and spend time with Prim in between her classes. She is really focusing on becoming a combat medic for the rebels. Personally, I hope that she never gets to see the frontlines, as I know from personal experience how terrible the experience can be, but I encourage her all the same. After this, I do further weapon training with Peeta and other rebels. Boggs, in particular, has seemingly taken me under his wing. He's really impressed with how I've performed thus far, and as my personal lookout whenever I see combat, he sees it as his duty to teach me everything he knows. After that, I eat dinner with my family, and go to sleep in Peeta's room. Then we wake up, and the process begins anew. Over and over again.

It's the morning, and training is just ending. We had to do a six mile run within forty-two minutes, which is a seven minute per mile pace. I want to die as I hit mile five, but I'm able to keep pace and finish strong. We do some basic weight lifting too. Peeta is so sweaty from the run that he takes off his shirt revealing his majestic muscles, and as he does ten reps of two hundred and fifty pounds on the bench press, I find myself blushing almost uncontrollably. He leans up from the bench and must've felt me eyeing him as he looks right at me and gives me a dramatic wink before getting up and taking his turn spotting for Finnick. As close as Peeta and I have gotten emotionally, we still don't get too physical, so when I get so see him like this I can't help but let my mind wander...

Johanna, of course, has to ruin the moment for me. She comes up to me and mocks using a tissue to wipe my lip, "Oh excuse you. Let me just wipe that drool off for you!" She says, with each word drenched in sarcasm.

I don't respond, instead I just give her a hard shove to get out of my personal space. I really don't understand why she doesn't like me. It's not like she doesn't like me and Peeta as a thing, as those two get along just fine. Maybe she's jealous. My mind continues to stray... Maybe she likes Peeta? She did tell me once in the arena that 'Love is weird,' although I really doubt that this is what she meant by it. Regardless, I trust Peeta with my whole heart. In all honesty, that boy has been in love with me as long as he can remember, and I really doubt some random bitch is going to make him forget all that. But I can't help but feel a twinge of jealousy stoke inside of me. I push it aside, because I don't have time to deal with emotions like that. We all head to the showers with the rest of the recruits. Afterwards, I clean up and head up to go hunting. I have to go through an odd garage like room to get to an area where the Rebels are ok with letting me exit into the nearby woods. As I enter the garage, they give me an ankle bracelet which keeps track of me. Since I don't have anyone to go with me, this is how they know where I am at all times. I don't really like it, but as the Mockingjay, they need to know where I am in case I get hurt or something.

After I put on the bracelet, I see Haymitch approaching me. "Hey sweetheart, wait a minute."

And so I do. "What's up Haymitch? Don't tell me that you're thinking of joining me today... Even though you're sober you'd still make far too much noise and scare off all potential prey," I tease him.

He grins, slightly awkwardly, "No. Not me."

I don't quite follow. But he nods behind me, and I spin around, and my mouth drops. I'm not sure if it's from anger or shock. Johanna Mason is on her way over to us. "What the hell Haymitch? What is she doing here?"

Johanna scoffs at me as she stands next to us, "Don't worry, this was not my idea."

I turn my glare upon Haymitch, but his look is unforgiving. "Frankly, I don't give a shit that you two don't like each other. It's time to get over it. Now. And I mean right now. You are two of the remaining five victors, and with the appearance of the Capitol's new mutts or clones, whatever you want to call them, we need to present a united front. That means you two learning how to play nice. Do I make myself clear?" He asks, but neither of us answer. So he responds far more forcefully, "Do I make myself clear?!"

"Yes," we both respond quietly.

"Good. Now, you two have fun. Think of it like a play date when you were kids."

I want to respond, but Johanna beats me to it, "Haymitch, just shut up."

He shakes his head and turns as he walks away. The guards put a bracelet on Johanna too and give her a bow as we head out. After we clear the gates, I try to break the silence. "Do you even know how to hunt?" But as the words leave my mouth I realize how much negative emphasis I put in the question.

Johanna scoffs, "I grew up in Seven, little miss Mockingjay," she sneers. "We have more trees than even the Capital knows what to do with, forests aplenty. Of course I know how to hunt..." Then I hear her whisper, "Brainless..."

We continue on in silence as we begin tracking. Hopefully we'll be able to find something more than rabbits. I spot some deer droppings and get really excited. I get Johanna's attention, and she quickly moves over. I expect her to share my excitement of being able to hunt something that might actually feed more than a person, but all I get is an eye roll. Johanna makes a terrible hunting partner, and I find a peculiar feeling rising inside of me. I miss Gale. He is the only thing missing from my hunting trips. He still hasn't really spoken to me since I told him that I chose Peeta over him. He just doesn't get it... It's not like Gale did anything wrong, or did anything that made me not want to be with him. It's just who Peeta is that made my choice for me. Peeta is my everything. He's my sunshine. He's the bright light at the end of the tunnel, that he illuminates with his brilliant bright blue pools for eyes. He's my dandelion. He's my hope that we can make it through this crazy war and still come out intact. He balances me. We're not perfect fits, we don't have a ton in common, but we have each other. We love each other for all of our differences and faults. And that is what makes us work so well. And that's the difference between Peeta and Gale. Where Peeta accepts me and helps me through his actions and words, Gale is sort of... just there. He was there for me when no one else was, and we bonded over the fact out fathers died in the same accident, but he never comforted me. He was just there. I still miss him, and I still wish he were with me over Johanna right now.

We continue on in silence for at least an hour before I finally get sight of the deer we'd been tracking. We come upon a small gulley, and on the other side it turns out that it's a family of deer, at least three are visible and maybe there are a few others around. Johanna and I lock eyes, and as hunters we both know what to do. We continue our silent stalking until we are within range. Within a few moments we shoot our arrows and all three of them collapse. I am happy, but I also begin to question how the two of us are going to carry back three deer, but I'm sure we'll manage. Still in silence, we march over, tie up the deer, and begin dragging them back, clearly indicating that our hunt is done for the day.

Eventually after quite sometime, we're both really tired so we decide to rest and rehydrate, and we sit down on a log. Our silence continues unabashed. It is past awkward and bordering on difficult to bear. I think about what Haymitch would be telling me, even what Peeta would be telling me... I grit my teeth and sigh. As much as there is just a disconnect between Johanna and I, maybe there is something I don't know. Maybe we can bridge the divide. I kind of laugh at this idea because it seems so impossible, but its worth a shot.

"Why do you hate me so much?" Again, I regret the negativity I put in the words as soon as they come out of my mouth.

Johanna lets out a little high-pitched laugh. "Well lets see... I think you're annoying. I think you're a stuck up prude. I think you don't understand the gravity of what's going on in this world, I think you don't fully appreciate that boy you've got wrapped around your finger, and - "

I am able to sit and take the first few rounds of her jabs, but the one about Peeta is a low blow and she knows it. It's like she's trying to figure out which of my buttons to push. Well, she found it. "Shut up you dumb - dumb," I want to say whore, but maybe I'm just a tad too nice. "You don't know anything about Peeta and me. And how could you? All you do is sit on the side and snicker about us and how we care about each other and you mock us. It's like your allergic to feeling anything close to love. You'd be lucky to ever find someone like him that can stir that feeling deep inside of you. You'll be lucky to find anyone that ever loves you!" Once more, I feel regret as the words come out of my mouth. But this time I definitely feel like she's asked for it.

The words hit her like a brick wall. She found my buttons, and clearly I've found hers. "You are so fucking stupid, you know that?" She asks me.

"No. I don't know that."

She scoffs. "You think I don't know what love feels like? You think I don't know that vulnerable feeling where you just don't what you could possibly do without that person? Or those people?" I am saddened because it would appear that I've misjudged Johanna. I see tears forming in her eyes as she shakes her head. "You just don't get it..."

I feel slightly angry, "What don't I understand Johanna?"

"You don't understand that you would've had the same fate as me if you didn't have Peeta in the games with you..."

What? What could she possibly mean by that? "What does that mean?"

She sighs and closes her eyes. "Well, Haymitch wanted us to solve our shit, so here goes 'girl on fire...' Snow killed every single person I loved. My mother. My father. My sister. My two brothers. My best friends. My boyfriend. All of them. Dead. Because of my choices."

I don't understand. She said that Snow killed them. "Why do you think you're responsible? If Snow killed them, you shouldn't blame yourself," I say doing my best to comfort her. But words were never my strong suit, I usually leave that to Peeta.

Tears are now freely streaming down Johanna's face. She shakes them off and continues on, "You see... When you win the Games as a single Victor, like most of us," she can't help but add, "and the pigs in the Capital consider you to be... attractive, then Snow makes arrangements." I have a dark thought crawl its way into my mind, and my heart begins to fracture into a million little pieces as I start putting it together. Things with Johanna are all starting to make sense, but I definitely want to let her finish before I make a judgement. "I can see the wheels turning in your head Katniss," I think this is the first time I've heard her address me by my first name, "let me spell it out for you. If the people in the Capital find you desirable, Snow will sell your body to them. He turns you into a cheap whore for money." I am eternally grateful I didn't call her a whore earlier.

"Johanna, I am so sorry..."

She gives me a dark, but very sad smile. "Yeah, well, don't get your panties in a bun yet. Story isn't over. I refused him. But no one refuses Snow and doesn't pay for it..." She pauses for a moment to collect her thoughts, clearly debating whether or not to completely open up to me. "I was a virgin after my first Games, and I had someone special that I cared about back home, and the idea of getting back to him was one of the only things that kept me going in the Games. It didn't matter though. No one gets to defy Snow."

Except me... And things are making sense even more. I understand why she looks at me the way she does. I understand why seeing Peeta and I together makes her so uncomfortable. But I am determined to let her finish. "So because you wouldn't whore yourself out, he killed everyone that mattered to you..." I say this. It's not a question, and Johanna does not answer it as such.

"Part of the reason I haven't been very nice to you is because you don't realize how close you were to having this very same fate," again I begin putting everything together. It is all so clear to me now. "If you didn't have Peeta in those Games with you, or if you had listened to him and killed him at the end, you would've had to grapple with the same decision I had to..." My heart sinks. Snow would've made me choose between my innocence and my loved ones. He really is a cruel man. It is my turn to tear up. Johanna turns to me, and I can tell she wants to roll her eyes but she fights against it. "So if you're ever wondering why I show a distaste for you, or you think I really don't like you, I guess it's because of this. I know it's not your fault, you didn't know what Snow did to the Victors. But now you do. And I know you don't like how much crap I give you for Peeta, but now maybe you understand..."

And I do. "You think I don't value him enough. You think that I don't realize the horrible fate that awaited me if I didn't have Peeta and his love." She nods solemnly, and silence falls over us. I'm not sure for how long, but it is not painfully awkward like the earlier silence was. This is more of a silence of recognition on my part. "Johanna, I love that boy. More than I care to admit to myself, and after what you've just told me, it just makes me love him even more. And that's really big for me, because after my father died when I was younger, I sort of gave up on love. I chose to not let myself feel it because I saw it as a weakness and I can't stand the idea of being vulnerable. But I love him. So much more than I ever thought was possible. He's my beacon of hope. He's my bright light that shines through the darkness. He is my everything. So please, don't think for a second that I don't value him. I do. I really do."

She nods again before looking away from me. "I admit it. I'm jealous of you two. I don't have anyone left that I love, and seeing you two makes me long for the past... It makes me wish I could change things, and it makes me resent myself and the choices I made. It was easier for me when I thought you two were just doing it for the cameras, I understood that. But after being in the arena with you two I realized that you do care for him, and it's just hard to be around sometimes..."

I hear a few sniffles and I know that I need to comfort her. I scoot over on the log and throw my arm around her. "Hey, I know that I might not be the person you want to hear this from... But don't give up on love. You're still young, you've got your whole life ahead of you, you'll find someone."

"How do you know?" She asks me.

I smile. "Because you're Johanna Mason. You're resilient. You're a survivor. And this world might be crazy and dark and been terrible to you, but don't let that make you shut yourself off from love. Take it from me, a girl who didn't even believe in love till very recently, love doesn't always make sense. It'll surprise you in ways you never knew possible. So keep your chin up, you'll find someone."

Our eyes meet, and for the first time ever I actually think that there's a chance Johanna Mason and I could be friends. I smile, and she smiles back at me. Wow. Who would've ever thought?

Peeta

Since officially joining the Rebellion, and especially since the incident with Thread, I have made it my life's mission to get myself ready for the realities of this war. I am focusing hard on my training, doing everything that the Rebel commanders tell me to, learning whatever I can, being the best soldier I can. I don't get any special treatment, nor do I want any. I give it my full effort everyday, with every single drill we do. After we finish the morning training session I go and help out in the kitchens. It's not like I'm doing much seeing as how they never really cook anything that appetizing, but it's nice to be able to do some sort of cooking. I get to teach some of the people the nuances of baking bread and the results are noticeably different instantly, and all of the people in the kitchens get good reviews from people. When the majority of the food served is soup or stew with a slice of bread or two, it can certainly be a game changer.

After I finish my shift, I see Katniss briefly, and then I head to my second session of training for the day, one thought isn't required by I choose to do anyways. Finnick and I spend several hours of the afternoon sparring with many different weapons. I have become quite proficient with my specially designed sword made by Beetee, and while Finnick has always been a master at using a Trident, he's gotten even better at using his new toy also designed by Beetee. But we also spend a lot of time using other weapons like bows, spears, and others. The funny part is that this isn't even our mandatory weapons training that we have later in the day!

Finnick and I are currently in the midst of a heated sparring match. While my sword is strong and sturdy while being light as a feather, it's not nearly as formidable of a weapon as Finnick's trident. It has the ability to extend an extra few feet and rotate it's blades. If he'd had this thing in his Games, I'm sure that all of his fellow tributes would've dreaded their encounter with him. I'm able to parry a jab he throws at me, and counter with a few swings of my own. I go high, forcing him to go low, and I realize my mistake. I quickly realize that in leaving myself open down low, Finnick has his opening and I step to the side. It doesn't matter, he gives me another jab which forces me to bend over backwards to avoid the hit. Finnick appears to be very impressed, and he puts his weapon at his side and smiles - a rarity from him these days. "Good work Peeta, let's take a break."

I am panting, as is he, so I'm not complaining. He step out of the practice arena in the training center as another duo steps on, and we collapse onto a bench nearby. I splash my face with water before I take a big swig to rehydrate. Once I've caught my breath I turn to Finnick, "How are you doing man?"

"I'm fine," although I know that's not exactly true. "I'm fine," he repeats. "I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine." He's better than he has been lately, but the fact that the Capital still has Annie bothers him always. The rebels have given no indiction that there will be a rescue mission and that has really irritated me, so I can only imagine how Finnick must feel. That's why he's always training. He hasn't been actively helping the Rebels with anything, and he certainly hasn't filmed any propos, but training helps put his mind at ease. It clears his mind so that he's not thinking about Annie all the time. He trains because he feels it is 100% his fault that she is being tortured, and that's not something that he can forgive himself for. We have bonded over our shared guilt, only my guilt is due to something else. I'm responsible for the deaths of my both of my parents and both of my brothers, and that is something that weighs on my conscience at all times. Even when I'm training. Even when I'm with Katniss. My ignorance of realizing what was transpiring around us led to the deaths of my family, and that is not something I can so easily forgive myself for.

I let a laugh escape a little bit at his answer, "Say it again one more time and I'll believe you."

This elicits a little laugh from him as well, he knows that he's not really fine. "I'm fine, Peeta. As fine as I'm gonna be... Till these cowards work up the courage to break out Annie, I don't know if I'm ever going to be better than fine."

Almost as if on cue, Plutarch Heavensbee marches into the room and walks over to us. I hear Finnick scoff as he approaches us. "Peeta! Finnick!" His voice sounds creaky and weary. "Good to see you two working hard..." he trails off.

"Good to see you too Plutarch," I say. Finnick merely grunts in response.

The old Gamemaker nods, "I was wondering if I could talk to you two. In private."

I look at Finnick before looking back at Plutarch, "Sure."

"I'm not interested. I think the smell in here just got a lot worse..." I smile as I understand Finnick to mean that Plutarch has the smell of a rat. Living with this guy and spending much of my day training with him, I pick up on some of his humor.

Plutarch is a smart man and he likely also picked up on it as well as he chuckles a bit. As Finnick is walking away, Plutarch turns around and he says, "Well I think I might have some news that you'd like to hear."

Finnick whips back, "Yeah? Well, you know there's only one thing I'm really interested in, so if it's not about that then -"

But Plutarch cuts him off. "It is. So will you come with me?"

Finnick and I make eye contact quickly before he turns back and he nods slowly. We follow Plutarch out of the training center and down the hallway into a small, private room. Plutarch gives us his familiar heavy smile before speaking. "Well, you're gonna like what I'm gonna tell you."

"Just spit it out already then," Finnick snaps.

The same smile does not leave Plutarch's tired face. "Fine. We've received intel that the Capital is moving Annie to a new location in the Capital. We don't know where this new place is, but we figure that the best way to rescue her is to get her during transit."

Finnick's eyes light up, "When?"

"We don't know yet. The plan hasn't been finalized. But I just wanted you to know that we're with you Finnick, we're gonna get her out. Just give us time, and let it happen." Finnick seems unsatisfied with this, but acknowledges that there isn't much more he can do. "On the other side of things, the leadership likes how much dedication to your preparation the two of you are showing. Believe me when I say, it is not going unnoticed." Without another word, Plutarch departs.

Finnick and I spend the next few hours resting before our mandatory weapons training session later, in which Katniss and Johanna rejoin us. They seem... different. They don't have scowls on their faces like they usually do when they are in each other's presence. When they spot us, they both hurry over to join us before Boggs begins today's firearm drills. I give Katniss a hug and kiss, while Johanna talks with Finnick about something.

"Hey," I say to the beautiful girl with gray eyes from the seam.

"Hey," she says with a smile as she kisses me back. "How was your day?"

"Not too bad..." I begin, and then I look over her shoulder indicating Johanna, "You two seem to be getting along better."

Katniss has a thoughtful look appear on her face. "Yeah.. It's interesting, sometimes you just need to spend a little time getting to know someone before you really can know them... Johanna and I really got to bond today, we've got a lot more in common than I thought. I think that we might turn out to be friends after all."

I smile, "We're all friends Katniss. In a lot of ways, we're all of any of us has," I indicate we to mean the remaining Victors, "so we all have to stick together."

She returns my smile, "Does that mean Haymitch too?" she replies sarcastically.

I laugh, "Yeah. That means Haymitch too. I don't know if he even realizes it, but he needs us just as much as we needed him going into our first games." Katniss nods solemnly, but obviously understanding what I mean. "There's more to him than meets the eye..."

There, hope you liked that little hint I dropped at the end as to what's coming in the next chapter :). Please review! It truly makes my day!