A/N: You guys are all so freaking amazing! Over 140 reviews with plenty of story left to tell, I can't tell you how thrilled I am with the feedback I've been getting from each and every one of you. A few things, first: I feel like this is a good time to warn you all that I will not have access to a computer for the entire month of June. I will be going to Brazil for the World Cup (SO F***ING EXCITED!) so I want you to all be prepared for no updates that month. I know, I'm crushed as well, but it is what it is (please be happy for me!). I do apologize because I love writing for all of you and this story is so much fun to write which is why I'm giving you all notice ahead of time. I'll make sure to remind you all each chapter, but just know there will be no updates in June. I'll try and get as many updates posted ahead of then as possible, and I've got the perfect, most amazing cliffhanger to leave you on for the month I'm gone (I know, I'm just that evil hehehe). Moving on, I'll be adding Haymitch as a main character to the story, as I did with Snow. He's not going to be featured in every chapter, but he will be here and there. And I'm glad you all like the idea of me exploring Peeta's past before the games, I've been intrigued with that for quite sometime and have never seen it discussed in a FanFic. You'll get more hints of it in this chapter, although not directly, so be on the lookout for it. As for those of you interested in the AC/Gale dynamic, don't worry, it's in here :D. I know you've all been waiting to find out what's happening with Peeta and the Careers, and wait no more, it's here and I am 100% absolutely positive you are all going to love it. *In my evil Joker voice* And here. We. Go!

Change of Fate

Chapter Seventeen: In the Valley of the Shadow of Death

Katniss

It's been hours since we were separated from Peeta, Annie, and Johanna. My heart was racing a mile a minute when we were first separated, but I've managed to calm myself - if only slightly. I've convinced myself that Peeta is big and as strong as an ox, and the careers would never be able to take him. Especially with Johanna nearby. The two of them would be a handful for anyone. That doesn't stop me from worrying though, I can only imagine what they're going through. Panic seeps into my veins as I realize that Peeta and I haven't been separated in an arena since the first games - when Peeta came to help me after I'd been stung by Tracker Jackers and he suffered because of it. He suffered at the hands of Cato. Who is once again hunting us. I can't even deal with this right now. But Boggs seems to think that the Careers are more concerned with us anyways, rather they're more concerned with capturing me.

As much as I want to believe that, I struggle with it because they could just as easily have split up and be chasing both of our groups. This only hardens my resolve in finding our friends quickly. United we stand, divided we fall. We are all walking along slowly as the heat increases steadily all day. It's gotta be over a hundred degrees by now. I'm sweating in places that make me uncomfortable, and being in this damn, black Mockingjay uniform doesn't make life any easier. And we don't have any water, which is making things potentially deadly.

I find myself watching Finnick as we continue on this trek, the only person in my group that I can actually call a friend. He is also the only one who is experiencing what I'm going through. I'm separated from Peeta. He's separated from Annie. I see him doing something with his hands, he appears to be fiddling with a rope. "What are you doing over there?" I ask as I approach him.

He looks up suddenly, as if he didn't expect anyone to talk to him. Kind of like he was stuck in his own head for too long. "Nothing really... Just something to pass the time."

I smile, trying to coax him out of his mind, "Don't worry about Annie, Finnick. I know Peeta, and he's not gonna let anything happen to her. I can promise you that."

He simply nods solemnly, acknowledging what I've said but perhaps not really believing it. "He's gonna be ok... That boy is a trooper." That he is. He better be ok, or someone is gonna have some hell to pay.

My thoughts are interrupted as we reach a large swath of shade and Boggs stops us, "Alright guys, lets take a break. No point in killing ourselves in this heat, especially without water."

I sigh in relief as I plop down next to Finnick and lean back against the mountain closing my eyes. I still can't believe we're back in an arena. I thought when we were rescued last time it'd be the last time I ever saw the inside of one of these. I push the thought to the back of my mind as I pay closer attention to what Finnick is doing. It appears he's tying knots over and over again in the rope that he's got. "Does tying knots help you not think about Annie?" I ask abruptly.

Again, he jumps a little, as if I wasn't going to ask him anything. "Yeah... It keeps my mind occupied. It keeps me from worrying too much." I frown a little bit, I'd like something to help keep my mind off of Peeta. As if he was reading my mind, Finnick pulls out another piece of rope and hands it to me, "I got this from Boggs, he had a bunch in his backpack, remember?" I nod silently as I smile and happily take the rope and begin following what Finnick is doing with his piece. He is right; the tying and tying, over and over again is oddly soothing. It is relaxing in the face of so much adversity. "Helping?" He asks.

"Yeah. I didn't really think it would."

He smiles, and we continue on in silence for a little while longer. It is like a form of meditation. Only things I can hear are the quiet whimpers of Cressida, and the planning of Boggs and Titus. After a while though, Finnick does pipe up. "You really love Peeta, don't you..." It is a statement, as if he didn't believe it, not a question. I then recall Annie implying in the cave last night that Finnick didn't believe I loved Peeta, and what he implied when we first met at the opening ceremony of the Quell.

I'm taken aback slightly by the statement, because I've been sleeping with Peeta in his room that he shares with Finnick for a few months now. Pretty much since we arrived in 13. "Yes... Why do you ask?"

Then I see Finnick flash me a smile, that beautiful smile that girls have gone crazy over since he won his games ten years ago. "I knew his love for you was real from the moment he said it in his interview with Caeser. It was perfectly played with the Capitol, no doubt, but I could tell he wasn't lying. But with you I really didn't believe it for a long time. I thought it was complete bullshit, to be honest. But your actions since I've met you have indicated to me otherwise..."

"Like what?"

He chuckles. "I think I've known you love Peeta even longer than you have. I told him as much when we were in the last arena." I smile and blush, this must've been what Finnick told Peeta that he was always so coy about telling me. It makes sense now why he never revealed what Finnick said to him that night. "When he hit that force field in the arena, you didn't see yourself Katniss, you were... Unconsolable. You were unstable. You were reacting in a way that I realized only someone in love would react," he says all of this matter of factly. I am flabbergasted at Finnick's revelation, but he's not done. "Don't act so surprised Katniss. I've been in love for several years, I know what it looks like... I was with you guys in the arena. I saw the way he looked at you, and how you looked at him. The same way I look at Annie, and she looks at me. I saw you two on the beach talking about whatever it was you talked about, and I watched as you two refused to separate at the tree. It's not hard to come to the only logical conclusion Katniss, even if you're too thick to see it," he adds this last part playfully and I punch him in the arm.

But part of me knows that he's right. No, not part of me. All of me knows he's right. "Yeah... I guess I just didn't want to believe it for so long, I put it aside as if it was nothing. Just something for the cameras. I never wanted to fall in love, Finnick. And I certainly never planned to fall for Peeta," I say trailing off as I imagine his big strong arms wrapped tightly around me as our lips meet in beautiful harmony. I can't wait to be reunited with him.

He laughs, "That's where the humorous irony of life comes into play. Life often gives us what we need, not what we want."

I stare at Finnick for a moment. He continues to defy all of the predetermined conceptions I had made about him. He is profound and deep, and posses wisdom well beyond his years. "What about you?" I ask. "Did you know you were in love with Annie from the beginning?"

He smiles and looks out into the vast expanding desert that encompasses us at the moment, "No... She definitely grew on me. Much like Peeta did with you, I assume..." I smile and nod. Finnick and I are a lot more alike than I would've thought. "He's a great guy. You two are very lucky to have each other."

"I know..." Truly, I realize this every single day. And it's even more prevalent at this moment when we're apart.

"He's probably the best friend I have, to be completely honest with you. He's helped keep me sane back in 13, more so than I think anyone has realized."

"How do you mean?"

He sighs before speaking, "I've been so distraught with Annie being captured, I've been bordering on losing it here and there. I think I have a few times. He's been able to help me deal with all the mental stuff, helped keep me from locking my mind away... There've been times where I feel like the Rebels should have locked me away in a mental ward or something. But Peeta has helped pull me back." I realize he's talking about times like when Peeta rushed out of my room to stop Finnick from killing someone when we heard the news about Annie going into the arena right before we left. I guess there have been a few more of those occasions than I knew about. "Peeta is an amazing person, he is pure at his core. It's inspiring... I kinda thought it was all part of his act during the first games, as he drummed up support to get sponsors and such. But I realize he really is just that good of a person."

I am deeply touched by Finnick's words. But he is absolutely right. Peeta is a man with a heart of pure gold and an incorruptible soul. I don't think anything in the world could ever change that about him, and its one of the many reasons I love him. This heart to heart I'm having with Finnick is abruptly interrupted when Boggs rushes over to us, "Hey, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we need to move. I think we've found them."

My heart jumps almost as quickly as I do to my feet. Any energy I thought had been gone is now back and flowing freely through my body. All of us are running now, and the mountain's path begins taking us downhill. As we keep moving, two bodies come into view. They are tied and bound lying in the dirt in the smoldering heat. As we get closer, I see that the two bodies are those of Annie and Johanna. My heart stops at this realization. Where is Peeta?

Finnick rushes to the ground to untie Annie and pulls her into a warm embrace as Boggs unties Johanna. "Where is Peeta?" I ask both of them, not bothering to even greet them. As they catch their breaths, Annie and Johanna share a look. "Where is he?!" I repeat, impatience and worry has obviously filtered into my voice.

Johanna picks up the spile, which I notice is in the dirt before standing up and meeting my gaze. "We were chased and attacked by the Careers..." She begins, and then I look beyond where we're standing and see a large body lying in the dirt. That of Brutus. "Peeta beat Brutus, and we were fighting Marvel and Glimmer, but then the rest of them showed up and took us hostage. Peeta made a deal with Cato... They spared our lives, but they took Peeta. They took him to the Cornucopia..."

My heart shatters into a million tiny little pieces. Oh my god. They have Peeta. And they're gonna hurt him. They're gonna hurt him because they want to hurt me. Without thinking about it anymore, I take off running down the mountain. This can't keep happening, he can't keep suffering because of me. He doesn't deserve this. I feel a flame ignite inside of my very soul that grows larger and larger with each and every step that I take until it consumes my entire being in a blazing inferno. I will make every single one of those horrible clone mutts that lays a hand on my Peeta pay dearly. They will pay with their lives.

Haymitch

The flight out to District 4 is going smoothly thus far. A few hours have gone by without a hitch, and we're probably halfway there by now. At the moment, I'm in a teleconference call with Plutarch and Beetee discussing how to proceed with Commander Paylor, who has recently been put in charge of the rebels in District 4.

"... So let me get this straight," she begins. Paylor is a young commander, probably in her early 30s. But there is an authoritative tone to her voice that makes you feel as though her appointment wasn't arbitrary. "You want me to launch an unauthorized invasion of Capitol controlled District 4, explicitly disobeying command?"

I am very frustrated seeing as how this is at least the third time she's asked us this, but Plutarch responds, "Paylor, I talked to you about this a few hours ago and you were more than willing. What's changed?"

"The fact that command has explicitly told me not to do it!" She exclaims. "They say that if I were to proceed, I'd be putting all of the Victors' lives in jeopardy, and I don't disagree!"

I snap. "If we don't act then they're all dead anyways! Is that what you want on your conscience? You want the Mockingjay's death to be on your hands? Peeta Mellark? Finnick Odair? Johanna Mason? Boggs? All of those people along with the 50 valiant soldiers that are with us right now, are dead if you don't provide us with the necessary diversion."

She looks slightly taken aback, "Come on Haymitch, there's no way the President wouldn't go in and rescue them. She's smarter than that..." She trails off, perhaps unconvinced of it herself.

"I can tell you with 100% honesty, President Coin has no plan on getting them out right now," Plutarch adds. "She wants to watch this play out, and she wants to use the Games as a means of drumming up support for the Rebel war effort... I'm sure she would eventually send in a rescue team, but it could be far too late by that point."

Paylor looks dumbfounded. Like her faith has been shaken. Several minutes pass before she speaks again, nodding her head slowly, "Alright... Alright... I'll get my soldiers ready... When do you expect to arrive at the arena?" She asks.

"A little less than two hours," I say. "But we need you to attack before we get there. Draw the Peacekeepers away from the mountain so that when we go in to rescue them, we won't have to take surface-to-air fire."

"It will be done," She adds before signing off.

I turn to look back at Plutarch and Beetee, "Well now that THAT is taken care of..." I trail off.

"What is the plan once we get there?" Beetee asks. "So as to say, I doubt that all of our friends are going to be sitting idly by twiddling their thumbs at the Cornucopia."

Interesting point, "Well, rescuing Peeta is our first objective, and he is at the Cornucopia. Taking a vicious beating at the hands of Cato and the other Careers, I might add. And to be honest, I know Katniss pretty well, once she finds out what's happened to Peeta she'll be at the Cornucopia faster than a fire burning down a whole dry forrest." Both Beetee and Plutarch don't look entirely convinced, "Hey, this was the whole point of having Paylor draw the Peacekeepers away. If the rest of them aren't there for a prompt pickup, we fly around the mountains and find them ourselves."

Plutarch simply nods, "Makes sense... But listen, I'm gonna try and get some shut eye before this lovely little adventure of ours kicks into high gear, and I recommend you both do the same," he says waving his wand to us, "talk to you later!" And then he's gone.

Beetee and I share a chuckle as we leave the conference room. As we do though, I hear a loud commotion coming from the main chamber where all the soldiers are. I glance at Beetee and roll my eyes and we hurry down that way. As we pull into view, I see Gale holding AC in a headlock, both men being encouraged to continue their brawl by the other troops. AC throws an elbow into Gale's gut, and pulls a reversal - throwing Gale over his shoulder and dropping him onto the metal surface of the room. I decide to step in to keep it from escalating any further. I forcefully put my hand on the chest of AC to stop him from continuing, and then Beetee gives Gale a hand up. Gale makes to lunge at AC once more but Beetee holds him back and I give him a sharp look.

"Alright ladies, someone want to tell me why we're not playing nicely?" I ask sarcastically.

"This guy is a rotten piece of filth!" Gale shouts with venom seeping into his words. "He is a disgrace to humanity..." I look at Gale incredulously, never knowing that he could hate anyone as much as he did the Capitol, but I turn to AC and indicate he's to follow me.

"Both of you are coming with me right now," I say shoving Gale forward as he eyes AC behind me with disdain. Beetee leads us back to the conference room we'd just left and locks the door once the four of us are inside. "Alright, lets cut the bullshit right now. I don't like being a babysitter, and lord knows I already do plenty of it, but I don't have the time or patience today to do so. You two are going to settle this crap right here, and right now." I let that sit with both of these guys as they eye each other very carefully. "AC, why does Gale seem to hate you so much?"

"We've got... some history," he begins.

"I'll say," Gale quips.

I shoot him a glare before turning back to AC, "What kind of history?"

"The kind that almost got me killed!" Gale exclaims.

I am taken aback and turn to Beetee as if trying to communicate with him silently. It doesn't work. He's always been able to do that with computers and stuff, not so much with humans. "AC?" I ask.

The young man sighs before turning up his head to meet my gaze. "It was never supposed to be like that. I've apologized millions of times over the years but Hawthorne knows how to keep a grudge..."

"When it almost costs me my life, yeah I tend to do that!" Gale says.

But I ignore him, I want to find out what actually happened. "AC, just spit it out already."

"Fine. I was probably twelve years old... My older brother was in Gale's year in school, and he was really popular. Him and all his friends. And Gale was, no offense, not very popular," I can literally hear the flames searing inside of Gale's heart. "My brother and his friends dared me and my friends to mess with Gale. To really fuck with his head... So we did." I roll my eyes. Here we go. "It was a few months after the coal mine accident that killed Gale's dad... We found Gale after school one day and told him that there had been another accident in one of the abandoned mines, which were off limits by order of the Peacekeepers, and that his little brother was trapped inside. Naturally, Gale ran off with tears running down his face to try and save his brother..."

"That's not the whole story..." Gale fumes.

"No. No it's not," AC says. "All we tried to do was get him in trouble with Peacekeepers, maybe a lashing or something. Instead, the abandoned mine was abandoned for a reason... As Gale ran down inside to find his brother, part of the mine collapsed in on him," he adds this last part with his head hanging in shame.

I am a little stunned. I can't really understand why children are as cruel as they are sometimes. I never would've predicted AC to be one to do something this horrendous. But maybe that's just because he was friends with Peeta, and I know Peeta wouldn't do something this egregious... Would he? "AC, Peeta wasn't part of this group of friends that did this was he?" I ask, hoping so badly that he wasn't.

"Why does that even matter Haymitch?" Gale asks, but I purposely ignore him.

AC looks at me in shock, "Are you kidding me? Peeta would never have done anything like that. If I remember correctly, when I asked Peeta to join us, he slammed the door in my face..."

I am relieved when he tells me this. "So how did you get out Gale?" Gale switches off between glaring at me and then AC. "Gale?"

"I dug him out," AC replies. I'm a little confused. "I never meant for the prank to get that far, so I spent the next few hours digging him out with my own hands. None of my friends helped me, so I stayed until it was pitch black out to get him out alive..."

Before I can respond, Gale does, "THAT DOESN'T CHANGE WHAT YOU DID YOU EVIL MERCHANT QUARTER SCUM!"

"Gale, calm your ass down," I say mellowly.

I can hear him huffing and fuming, "Are you really gonna take his side on this Haymitch?"

I roll my eyes and then squint at him, "What are you, nine? Picking sides? Gale, I'm not picking anyone's side. I'm trying to get you two to be at least amicable with each other on this mission. Gale, what AC did to you as a child was vile. It was horrible. But he also saved your life afterwards. You're holding a grudge, and I'm not telling you to let it go, but I'm telling you to put it aside for now. AC, what you did was cruel and borders on the inhuman. But you may have kept yourself out of the fiery pits of hell by saving his life. You're both five years older now, you're young men, so it's time you started acting like it. You're both here because you each have someone you deeply care about in danger. For you Gale, it's Katniss, she's your best friend. AC, for you it's Peeta, he was your best friend. You share a common goal between the two of you, so if you want to keep this feud going, fine by me. But not on this mission. There is too much at stake here for some petty crap that happened years ago to derail what we're doing. Do I make myself clear?"

There is silence for a moment as the two glare at each other before I finally hear Gale say, "Fine." While AC nods in agreement.

"Good. Now shake hands," I say.

"Haymitch really - " Gale begins.

But I cut him off. "That wasn't a request, Soldier Hawthorne."

Reluctantly, the two men come together and clasp hands. I smile and say, "See? That wasn't so bad, was it? Now get out of here and get some rest. We'll be in District Four in a few hours and I need to get some beauty sleep." And, just as abruptly as Plutarch left me in the very same room just a while ago, I wave my hand at these two young men and then I vanish to my quarters...

Peeta

Thud. That's the sound I hear in my head as Cato's fist makes contact with my face for what feels like the millionth time. I'm sure I've been bloodied up quite a bit, I can feel my eye swelling so I'll obviously have a black eye later, and my jaw aches like nothing else. This is all in addition to my concussion which keeps me light headed and somewhat drowzy. All the careers have taken their turn beating me. I don't even know how I haven't died from internal bleeding yet... My question is soon answered.

"So lover boy," I hear Cato say. I can't see out of one of my eyes now, "just so you know, I don't want to kill you. That's not my goal in all of this."

I let out a merciless laugh, "Oh yeah? Then what exactly is your goal in beating the life out of me?"

"Isn't it obvious?" I hear the sly voice of Clove ask me. "We want to hurt you so that your pretty little girlfriend will come out to play..."

"And she will... She will because she will want to play hero and come and save you," Cashmere says. "And when she does, I will so enjoy slowly killing her... As you watch and scream begging for us to take you first."

"Hey who says you get to kill her?!" Clove snaps back. "I've been waiting to kill her way longer than you have!"

"Because I actually won my Games, unlike you, so that gives me seniority and privilege over you," Cashmere replies.

I can't help but laugh. The bantering between the Careers has continued unabashed the entire time I've been their hostage. None of them get along, and it's because of who they are. Career pack members in the Hunger Games have all trained for much of their lives for the Games so they think it's their right and their destiny to win. It's why their alliances never end well and they all turn on each other.

While those two are bickering, Gloss and Marvel take their turn to beat me up. With my hands tied behind my back, they stand me up and take turns hitting me in the ribs and the gut. I'm doing my best to tune out the physical pain, and with how numb I am from all of the blows I've already taken it's not that hard, but these hits are hard to take. I'm struggling to breathe, and then I feel a crack. I can tell just from my wrestling days that I've at least fractured a rib. But they don't stop, they are unrelenting in hitting my ribs. Crack. Crack. Crack. Over and over, I can feel my bones cracking under their hits. I am clenching my teeth, determined not to allow myself to show that I am in pain. I refuse to give them the satisfaction, but damn this is hard.

Finally they relent and I collapse to the ground, panting and in severe pain. "How'd that feel Lover boy?" Marvel asks me.

"Not bad, especially for a loser who never won his round in the Games," I reply with a sneer.

"You little bitch!" Marvel says and then I feel his foot slam into my face.

"Hey! Don't do that! We need to keep him alive!" I hear Cato exclaim through the black haze that it is my life at the moment.

"He talked back to me!" Marvel says.

"You are a punk that never won your round in the Games, he was speaking the truth," Gloss says matter of factly.

I can't see anything at the moment, but my hearing is clear again. "I am sick and tired of you using that as a reason that you're better than the rest of us!" Marvel exclaims. "You're nothing Gloss! You're just a stupid pretty boy."

"A stupid pretty boy that happens to be a Victor, you disgraced District 1 during the 74th Games. You brought us no honor, I have far more respect for this one," he says indicating me, "than I do for you." Gloss replies. And then I hear a punch, which I can only assume was the sound of Marvel's fist hitting Gloss' face. The two evidently wrestle to the ground and I'm truly glad when I gain some semblance of my vision back. The sight of seeing these two Careers rolling around hurting each other instead of me makes me very happy. I'm even more happy when I see that the camera crew is right beside me filming the whole thing. Two careers fighting for the Capitol can't even figure out their own problems. Classic.

"Will you guys stop fighting?" Glimmer asks as Cato gets in the middle of the two of them to break them up.

"Come on you two, we've got more important things to deal with..." Cato says, and he is eventually able to separate the two bickering teammates.

"Aww Cato, why'd you have to go and ruin my fun? I was rather enjoying watching these two make fools of themselves on national television," I quip. I realize the precarious position I'm in, but something that Johanna said to me earlier has really resonated with me. Arrogance is the most deadly trait you can have while in the Games. And every single one of these Careers is overflowing with it. I can make that play to my advantage, and with the cameras rolling and pointed right at me, this is probably the best chance to make my move.

"Oh yeah?" Cato asks angrily as he walks over to me and gives me another solid punch across the face. "Was that fun enough for you?"

I can taste the blood in my mouth as I see the camera focusing in on my face. Here we go. "You know, you guys have me outnumbered six to one here. Instead of just having me tied up and taking turns pummeling me, why don't you fight me like a real man Cato?" He is shellshocked by my challenge, and does not respond right away. "It's not like I'm gonna be able to kill you, you guys would all stop me well before it got to that point. C'mon Cato, don't you have the balls to fight a bloodied and beaten down man on national television?"

He eyes me cautiously, "It would go against our plan..."

I smile, he has played right into my hand. I turn away from him and look right into the camera, "You hear that Panem? Cato is a coward! He is such a chicken he won't even fight a cripple!" I turn back to face him. Boom. I got him. Hook, line, and sinker.

"You wanna fight me you little bitch? I'll show you how to fight!" He exclaims as he moves to untie me.

"Cato, come on, don't let him get under your skin," I hear Clove say. Too late. I'm under, and I'm crawling all around him.

He unties me and helps me stand up before shoving me against the wall of the Cornucopia. "No weapons," is all he manages to say before he comes out swinging. His punch swings to make contact with my face again, but I've taken enough of those today. I weave to the left, step inside, throw a few punches to his ribs before grabbing him and moving my leg behind his and letting his own weight take him to the ground. In this moment, I'm immensely thankful for my years as a wrestler.

I walk around him and get out into the open outside of the metal coverings of the Cornucopia. "Is that all you've got? Really? I expected more out of you Cato. You're not so tough without a weapon. You're not so tough without having your opponent tied up, are you?"

He lunges at me with fierce intensity, I smile, as I side step him and let his momentum carry him past me. Even after the beating I've taken, I still know how to fight. My training with Finnick has really given me an edge. I'm faster. More nimble. This is like a wrestling match at school in more ways than one. I know that they have no intention of killing me yet, so I don't have to worry about my life, just like in school; I'm surrounded by watching eyes, only now it's the entire country, in school it was just my classmates; and, just like then, I know I can win. This thought gives me confidence as I go on the offensive for the first time. I take a jab to the face, but I'm able to get inside leverage on him again and give him a few hard shots to the ribs before I stomp on his injured foot. This causes him to yelp in pain, and I then take his head and smash his face right into my knee. He falls to the ground. "Wow, the Great Cato from District 2... I was expecting something... Well, I was expecting something more. You can't tell me that's all you've got? With all your years of training at the Career academy, I'm able to take you down with a few basic wrestling moves and then a dumb brawler move my brother taught me? Surely you can do better." I love this. I love getting to taunt him after all the taunting he's done of me. After nearly killing me back in the first arena. I've had dreams and nightmares about fighting Cato again, and I can safely say this is turning out better than I ever expected.

He stands up, his face now bleeding to match that of mine. He takes a boxers stance, and I can't help but feel sorry for him. He's leaving his lower body open, and he's already got a fractured leg. This will be too easy. But I realize he does have some smarts. This was a fake out. I go in to tackle him, but he drops down and does a sweep kick to knock my legs out from under me. He lands on top of me and gives my fractured ribs some hard punches of his own. Ouch. He stops and lets me stand back up. Alright, Johanna you were certainly right. Arrogance is deadly. I let my ego get to my head on that last part. Lesson learned, I promise you.

As the other careers gaze on in amusement, Cato charges me again, and I'm not quite quick enough to side step him this time so instead I just lower my shoulder and take the blow. Given the durability of my capitol made prosthetic leg, I'm able to hold my own and I don't let him tackle me. We are both locked in a battle of pure power. Cato throws a few quick jabs at my ribs, and I want to burst out in pain. It hurts so bad... "Alright Cato, you wanna play like that?" I say deceptively. I disengage with him and spin around his body so that I'm behind him. With all of the strength and force I can muster I give him a huge kick to his fractured leg. He collapses to the ground in agony.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" He yells. I move away quickly, as evidently I didn't do enough to completely shatter his leg and he hobbles after me. I am surrounded by the other Careers, so it's not like I can run away or anything. I glance at the Cornucopia, and without stopping to think I begin to scale it. In a moment I'm on top of it, and safe for the present time. I look to the sky and see it's beautiful shade of sunset orange taking grasp of it's entirety. I can't believe it's only been a day since we were suckered back into another arena... "Get back down here and fight me like a man!" Cato shouts, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Fight like a man? Sort of an odd request coming from the guy that spent an afternoon beating the crap out of someone who couldn't fight back," I say as our eyes meet in a deathly stare. He limps around the side of the Cornucopia and also climbs up. As we glare at each other, it is an oddly familiar sight for us. The last time we met before this most recent round of the Hunger Games, we were atop of a Cornucopia. In another arena. In another life. At least for him. I take a deep breath as I prepare to engage with him once more. Now we are on somewhat equal footing. Both of us are injured now. Just as I am about to step forward and attempt to fully break his leg, something whizzes just above our heads. At first I assume that Clove just threw one of her knives, and I'm about to be livid. But I see that whatever almost hit us has firmly entrenched itself into the horn of the Cornucopia. As I take a closer examination of it, I see that it's on fire at it's tip. It's a fire arrow... Katniss.

I look around and I see a large group of people moving towards the Cornucopia. And another arrow is fired, this time lower and into the circle of the other careers, who disperse to avoid it. My eyes lock with those of Katniss and I smile through my bloodied and bruised face and she smiles in turn. But our gaze is cut short as Cato tackles me to the roof of the building and immediately begins wailing his fists into my face. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. He gets in five good shots before I'm able to use leverage from my legs to kick him off of me. Seriously, I don't know how I'm not brain dead after all the shots I've taken to the head today since getting concussed.

I hear my friends clashing weapons with those of the Careers below as I rise to my feet to meet the death stare from Cato. None of his friends to stop me from ending his life now. This duel that has raged on between us for over a year now, even in his death, will finally come to an end now. Yet just as I'm about to reengage him, I hear a huge boom off in the distance. Followed by several more. I look to the horizon and see that the Peacekeepers have moved away from the mountain and are obviously engaged in some sort of conflict a few miles south of where we are, probably close to where our hovercraft crashed yesterday. I hear more explosions, some so large that they rock the Cornucopia. They are so big, I can now see them on the horizon line. Huge walls of fire erupting into the air. Suddenly it dawns on me. The rebels must finally be rescuing us. This must be it. I'm about to refocus my attention on Cato but I see him look up to the sky, so my eyes follow his... And a single hovercraft appears, zooming straight towards us... Is it Capitol reinforcements? Or a rescue team?

I don't get to find out as Cato takes my momentary lapse of attention and tackles me once more. This time he does not throw punches, this time his objective is clear. He is trying to strangle me. He's trying to kill me. Again. I am holding off for what little leverage I have, I can't let his hands reach my throat... But they are getting closer and closer. He's going to get there. So I do the only thing left that I can think of. Using all of the strength I can muster, I roll us over the edge of the Cornucopia and we fall twenty feet till we hit the ground. We are still locked in a deadly battle for leverage and positioning, but I have a view of the now landed Hovercraft, and soldiers begin pouring out of it. From a distance, I see one man. A man whose face I know well. A man whom I had put my full faith into getting us out of this mess. One Mr. Haymitch Abernathy...

Boom. I know. I'm cruel, leaving you guys like that. But hey, this entire story arc has been filled with cliffhangers, I'm sure you guys can handle another one. I have to be honest, this was probably my favorite chapter to write thus far, I really like it. I think it's probably some of my best writing thus far in the story. What'd you guys think? Did you like Katniss and Finnick finally getting their chance to bond? Did you like the revelation of the past between Gale and AC? And tell me, just how awesome was that fight scene between Peeta and Cato? PLEASE let me know.