A/N: Hey guys! Thanks so much as always for all your feedback and support. I'm so sorry about the slower than usual updates, but with finals and such it's just how it is. Just another week to go and I'm free! To 'my greatest fan,' I'm so glad that my writing has touched you so, I may flatter you with the mentioning in the A/Ns, but seeing your reviews makes my day every time, so thank you! I know I've been leaving you guys on consistent cliffhangers throughout this whole story arc with the Careers, but it sort of needs to be that way haha. It will be coming to a close shortly, and I promise that you will enjoy it! Lots of stuff going on. Probably won't get another chapter out till next week, but I am publishing this one without sending it to my beta reader just because I know how long it's been since I've updated! You are all so very welcome, but please forgive any editing errors I didn't get to correct. Here's the next chapter! I really hope you guys enjoy.

Change of Fate

Chapter Eighteen: Reunion

Haymitch

As soon as our hovercraft lands and the first squad is down the ramp, I'm right there with the rest of the troops. Directly in front of me is the Cornucopia, and just outside its mouth Katniss, Finnick, Johanna, Annie, Boggs, and Titus are engaged in combat with Clove, Gloss, Cashmere, Glimmer, and Marvel respectfully; I can see Peeta struggling with Cato as they wrestle to the death, and I catch Cressida filming the whole thing... Turned out just perfectly for our dear ol' President Coin. She gets her Mockingjays rescued just in time with the cameras rolling, and she will have undoubtedly rallied even more public support. I bet even the citizens of the Capitol are clamoring for change after this.

I'm not sure if the others can see us as the troops continue to poor out of the hovercraft. Plutarch approaches me with a megaphone in hand, which Plutarch gives to me. I nod silently before I turn around and face the group. "Attention! Combatants of the 76th Hunger Games! It is my distinct pleasure to announce to you all, that the Games are over!" I let that ring as the troops spread out and begin slowly encroaching the Cornucopia, and the tributes all stop their fighting as they begin to eye us. "In the name of the 2nd Rebellion, I am placing Cato, Cashmere, Clove, Glimmer, Gloss, and Marvel under arrest..."

I hear a deep powerful voice boom and echo in it's darkness, "NO!"

It is not from any of the tributes by the Cornucopia, so it clearly must be from Cato. I glance over to where he and Peeta are still fighting and grappling for positioning on the ground with Cato on top, and I slowly begin walking towards them. "Look boy, we've got you significantly outnumbered here... Why don't you just get up off of Peeta, and we can talk about how we can help each other."

He scoffs at me, "Me help you? You help me? You aren't my mentor you old drunk! We serve the Capitol and President Snow, I won't give you a damn thing!"

"If that's how you want to play this, I guess that's fine. I didn't really expect to get anything out of you in the first place, however that doesn't change the fact you are under arrest. Now get off Peeta, or we will make you," I reply.

With his hands attached to Peeta's throat, he looks back between me, Katniss, who is still with the others at the Cornucopia as old soldiers move in, and the cameras. "What is so fucking special about District 12? Why does a completely ordinary girl from District 12 get to pull out some berries and change how things have worked in this country for the last 75 years?" Cato asks, almost begging to know. "Tell me, how does that same ordinary girl go on to become the symbol for a rebellion that could destroy our country? I don't get it. Why is it the cameras eat this shit up so much?" His hands never leave Peeta's throat even as I close in on him with Katniss now by my side. But there is something in his eyes, perhaps an emotion I never thought was possible from Cato - much less a clone of him. Is it sorrow? No... Regret? Maybe. "Why didn't they like my story? I was a cold blooded killer. Ruthless. They ate that crap up every year for so long, why did it change for me?"

I'm standing just a few feet away from him now. I say dryly, "If you'd only realize that Snow is the villain of the story here, you'd see that the answer to your question is right in front of you..." He doesn't seem to get it so I get more specific. "Maybe it's because everyone was tired of that same old story, but I tend to think it's because the idea of young love defying the tyranny of the Capitol and getting away with it is all that was needed to spark this rebellion..."

I see recognition flash through Cato's eyes, "First time anyone defied the Capitol since the first war..." he says.

"First time and got away with it at least," I say with a flash of painful memories streaming through my mind. "Look, kid, all of you-you clones or what ever you are, you're just being used by Snow, just as your original selves were, and just as any tribute to have ever entered the arena was. But you can change that. Come with us willingly, and I promise that the Rebels will do our best to help you..."

I feel Katniss' eyes and those of everyone else burning holes into the back of my skull. I don't even understand the words that are coming out of my mouth as I say them. These clone-mutts are as good as dead - or a fate worse than death - the moment we get back to 13. People will want their heads. But as I meet his eyes for a split second I think I'm going to break through and reach the deepest part of his mind. And in an instant, it's gone.

Two more hovercraft appear in the skies above and they are not friendlies. They both drop their ramps while in the air, thirty feet behind the Cornucopia and white helmeted Peacekeepers are dropping out of the sky. I look to my left where I notice that AC and Gale have tackled Cato off of Peeta, as Katniss rushes to his side. Bullets start firing, even I launch a few rounds in the general direction of a Peacekeeper. "Katniss, you got him? Do you need my help?

"No, I should be fine," Peeta replies instead. "Ribs though, ow!" He exclaims as his hand falls to them, "many are broken," he adds weakly.

"Haymitch, we need to get him out of here!" Katniss exclaims as bullets continue to fly between us and the Peacekeepers. Gale and AC are using some troops as a diversion while they attempt to go around the Cornucopia and outflank the enemy. It doesn't matter much, this isn't a battle I want to see the end of. We need to get the hell out of here.

"No shit, then lets move!" I say hurrying them along with a few soldiers providing us with cover as we make the trek over our hovercraft, "Plutarch! Beetee! Is that thing ready to go?" I yell into my intercom.

"It will be in the next five minutes, so hold off the Peacekeepers for as long as you can till we get the ship ready." Plutarch responds.

We continue up the ramp and into the hovercraft and immediately take Peeta into the med bay. Katniss gently lays Peeta down, who is still wincing in pain. The kid looks like shit. Beaten and bruised with a black eye, busted open lip, and evidently a few broken ribs. Still, I couldn't be happier to see him alive. Both of them. Katniss starts gently running her fingers through Peeta's golden curls and I smile. Silently I come from behind Katniss and wrap my arm around her waist and lightly rest my hand on Peeta's shoulder. "I'm glad you kids are alright," I say weakly, fighting back the tears.

Peeta grins through the grime on his face, "I'm glad you came to get us. I knew you would," he says proudly.

"Yeah, well it was no walk in the park believe me..." I say, thinking back over the last 24 hours. From the President wanting to leave them in the Games, to secretly recruiting a team for the mission, it certainly wasn't easy. "I don't tell you guys this often... And I know we don't always see eye to eye, and we've had our fair share of differences, but I really love you. Both of you... You guys really are the most important things in my life," I say this with tears flooding my eyes and I give them both a squeeze.

"Love you too old man," Katniss says playfully. "Thanks for saving the day."

"Always," I say, borrowing the cute little line those two use between each other.

"We're a family Haymitch," Peeta says genuinely. "We may be the family you never wanted," he can't help but laugh as he says this, "but we're one big, really odd, really messed up, family now. And now that you've got us, you're stuck with us!"

I want to hold this beautiful moment forever. It's as close to a perfect moment as I'll ever experience. Then I realize that there is still a battle going on outside. "You two rest, I'm gonna go check on every body else," I say with a wide smile which both of them return. As I turn and walk away, I'm feeling really happy. Happier than I've been in a long time. I'm rudely awakened as I walk down the ramp back to the battlefield when an explosion goes off ten feet in front of me and knocks me on my ass. Ouch...

I stand back up to see things aren't progressing well. AC and Gale are falling back with their men, and the Peacekeepers are slowly moving past the Cornucopia, at which time they'll have nothing stopping them from coming right at us. "Plutarch! When is this bucket of bolts gonna be ready?" I ask into my intercom.

"It's ready! Get everyone inside!" He says.

"FALL BACK!" I shout to everyone.

Beetee manages to turn on some turrets on the side of the ship which provides everyone solid cover fire. I take my turn to fire a few rounds at the Peacekeepers. I have always been back in 13 throughout the whole war thus far, I haven't been on the front lines... It feels strange. I push this thought out of my mind when I begin seeing the team reaching the ship. First is Annie and Finnick, followed by Cressida, then Titus, and as most of the troops reach the ramp, Boggs comes along with a tied up Gloss tossed over his shoulder. Gale is following close behind, practically throwing Glimmer along going up the ramps. But wait - who are we missing? Katniss and Peeta... Annie, Finnick... Cressida... Titus and Boggs; that's six, seven... Johanna!

I whip my head around as I hear a scream that is all too familiar. I see the gaunt face of Cato holding Johanna with a knife pressed hard against her neck. "Drop the gun," he says. I don't. I keep it aimed straight at his head. "Drop the gun, or I'll slit her throat right here." I see Cashmere, Clove, and Marvel all standing around behind him with at least a dozen Peacekeepers ready to pounce into the fray at any moment.

I don't drop my gun, but I lower it. "What do you want?" I ask.

"Trade," he replies flatly. "Glimmer and Gloss for Johanna."

God damn it. This would be a huge boon to the Rebellion to capture some of these tributes... But I can't let Johanna die - or get taken captive. I slowly nod my head. "Boggs, get the prisoners," I say as I darkly turn to the man on my right.

"Haymitch - " he starts, but I interrupt him.

"Just do it. We don't have a choice..."

He stiffens, and nods, and heads up the ramp. Cato and I make eye contact and it does not break. It is a glare of mutual disdain. Whatever part of his mind I thought I'd reached earlier is sealed off now. His face has hardened and his expression is emotionless. Even when Boggs returns I don't cut off my glare as he walks Glimmer and Gloss out to Cato's position. Cato lets the pressure off of the blade against Johanna's neck and she sleeks away into Boggs' arms as the other two rejoin their group. I keep my gun at the ready, but everything proceeds just fine. Only when Cato walks away does our staring match end. I let everyone else back up the ramp and take one last look at the smoldering battlefield in front of me before entering the hovercraft just as it pulls up into the air.

I see Johanna and I immediately move close to her and pull her into a warm hug. Peeta is right. We are a family. But it's not just me and those two. It's all of us. All of the remaining Victors, we're all the rest of us have. Johanna is family now too, and I won't let anything bad happen to her or any of the others.

"Umm... I'm getting a little uncomfortable now Haymitch," she says.

I pull my arms back and look into her deep brown eyes, and I get lost for a moment. "Sorry... Just glad to see you alright."

Johanna flashes me a beautiful smile, "Thanks to you. I owe you one."

I smirk to myself, by my count that's the second arena I've rescued her from, but I'll let it slide. "Don't worry about it. We're all gonna be safe," I add. "Go get some rest, I'm gonna go talk to Plutarch."

"Sounds good," and she leans in and hugs me again and gives me a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you for saving my life Haymitch, I mean it," and with that she stumbles off to another room.

I sit down for a moment, and let everything that has happened today sink in. Damn... I defied a President, I recruited a team of misfits for a rescue mission, ended a round of the Hunger Games, and saved the lives of all the people I care about. I'd say it was a very productive day...

Katniss

I feel the weight of anxiety and fear of death lifted off my shoulders just as the hovercraft lifts off the ground. Peeta must feel my tension evaporate as he trails his fingers along my side, sending shivers down my spine, and I look back at him. Our eyes meet and lock in a trance, as if we've just now been reunited after days of chaos. When in reality we've only been apart for a few hours, but there sure was plenty of chaos along the way to keep us busy. I lean my body gently across his, carefully avoiding putting pressure on his rib cage, and I let my face come as close to his as possible. Even with his lip bloodied and busted open, I don't care, and I tenderly pull his lips towards mine.

The kiss is gentle and romantic at the same time. Light, yet passion-filled. It is amazing. It's the kind of kiss that really makes your toes curl, and all this time I thought that all the girls in school had just been exaggerating... They definitely weren't. I momentarily forget the condition of Peeta's body and pull myself on top of him. Instantly, I'm shaken back to reality as he breaks off the kiss and yelps in pain.

"Peeta!" I say worriedly. "I'm so sorry!"

His eyes roll into the back of his head for a moment out of pain, but he returns to relative normalcy in a few moments. "Don't worry about it, I'll be fine."

I smile sadly and turn away for a moment. I grab a towel and run it under some warm water before returning to his side. I start taking the towel and running it over his face, wiping away the blood. We sit together in silence as I wipe away the layers of blood, dust, and grime that have covered the face of my Peeta. Slowly but surely all of it fades away and the face of the beautiful man I have fallen so deeply in love with over the past several months, maybe even years, returns and his blue eyes dazzle me as they shine so brightly. As they shine so brightly for me...

"Thank you," he says.

I smile in response as I let my mind wander. I can't help but feel like this is all my fault. Whenever Peeta suffers, it tends to be my fault... "I'm sorry Peeta..." I reply sadly.

He looks confused, "For what?"

"For what happened to you! It's all my fault! You're a target for Snow and the Capitol just because of me..." I plead.

"Will you stop blaming yourself for things they do?" He asks.

"But Peeta - " I say, but he stops me.

"No!" He exclaims. "Please, stop doing that! Not only is it wrong, but telling yourself that only makes you feel worse and makes you feel like you owe me, but it's insulting. To me..." He pauses, but I let him stew for a moment before he continues. "Things have been crazy since the odds brought us together last year for the Games, but I'm still here. I'm still here because I love you, and I do many things because I love you. And I am right here by your side by my own choice, and I know what I'm getting myself into. So please, stop acting like it's all your fault when I get hurt. I'm a big boy Katniss, I can handle myself."

I'm a little taken aback by Peeta's little outburst, because I don't think he's been so frank with me like this before. But he's right. He is a big boy - he's a man! He's brave. He's strong. And he can most certainly handle himself. "Ok," I say with a smile. "I'm sorry... I'm just trying to protect you."

He smiles widely, "I know. And I love that you protect me as fervently as I protect you, it's part of what makes us so good together, but that doesn't mean you should take the blame for the Capitol's crimes." He pauses as he takes my hand and our eyes meet in an intense gaze, "Snow is always going to be trying to hurt us, so it's our job to not let that happen. We stay strong, for each other."

I feel a smile rapidly spreading it's way across my face. I can't even believe how good he is with words sometimes. "I love you, you know that right?" I ask flirtatiously as I lean in to kiss him again.

He grins, "Yeah, you know you might've told me that once or twice... But it never hurts to hear it more."

I desperately wish he was healthier so that I could straddle him right now and show him how much I love him. I'm not as good with words as he is, I'm better with doing things... Actions. Actions are my form of expression.

Yet just as my lips slowly start to graze his, we are interrupted but an unfamiliar voice. "Ahem... I hope I'm not interrupting anything," a young man asks. As I look over at him he's wearing the same District 13 soldier uniform I've seen on every soldier around, yet he looks strangely familiar, but I just can't put my finger on who he is... It doesn't take long for the answer to arrive.

"AC?" Peeta asks as if in disbelief.

That's who it is. AC. I never really knew him, but he was in school with Peeta and I back in Twelve. I vaguely remember him and Peeta being friends, but I never kept up with that sort of stuff. All I remember about him is the horrible prank he pulled on Gale when he and I had just started becoming friends.

AC chuckles, "The one and only. How you hanging in there Peet?"

Peeta waves his hand in the air as if to say 'it's nothing,' "I'm fine. But wait a minute, I didn't even realize you'd survived the bombings! I heard that the Merchant quarter was hit first so I just assumed..."

"Seriously man? You don't think I'd be able to get out of that mess alive?" AC asks playfully.

"I mean, you were never as strong as me, so you'll forgive me for not holding my breath," Peeta responds in kind.

AC closes in and takes a place on the other side of Peeta's bed from me. "You know, if you weren't a cripple right now, I'd beat the living hell out of you."

"Didn't I just remind you that I was always stronger? Only way you could beat the hell out of me is while I'm crippled!" Peeta exclaims, and the two of them burst into laughter. I guess they must've been a lot closer than I originally thought, because they're acting like two best friends that have never been separated in their entire lives. "Where are my manners though? Katniss, I don't know if you've ever met but this is AC, he went to school with us, he was my best friend."

I'm about to say something, but AC speaks first, "Was?" He asks incredulously. "Don't tell me I've been replaced!" As serious as he's pretending to be, I can just tell by the way these two are jesting back and forth that he's being somewhat sarcastic.

Peeta just rolls his eyes, "Katniss, this is AC... He is my best friend."

I smile and shake his hand, but I eye him cautiously. I won't forget what he did to Gale when we were kids. Maybe he's a different person now, and having Peeta in your life can only make you a better person, but I am still going to be reserved with this one. "Nice to officially meet you AC," I say pleasantly.

"Nice to meet you, the infamous Katniss Everdeen!" My face hardens and I glare at him, as I assume he's talking about our times in the Games, but that idea is quickly put to rest when he speaks next, "Finally managed to win her over, did ya Peet? How'd you swing that one?"

I glance back at Peeta and he just throws his hands up in the air. "I don't know man, going through two - now three - rounds in the Hunger Games can change people and how we see things." He pauses here as hie eyes turn to meet mine. Blue meets Grey. "And I think I was in the clear with Katniss when she kissed me on the beach that one night... It was a beautiful moment because she kissed me just to kiss me, not for the cameras, not to hold our alliance together, just to be with me..."

I feel blood rush to my cheeks and I instantly know that I'm blushing hardcore.

"Aww, ain't that sweet," AC quips. "It only took you what, 12 years to get her to fall for you?"

"Shut up AC," Peeta says with a laugh. I sit back and watch in awe with a smile on my face as two old friends catch up about things that are way over my head. I think about our growing family; with me and Peeta, and Haymitch, and Finnick and Johanna, along with Annie now... It's sort of odd to realize that someone from Peeta's past is still around. It's not like I'm worried AC is going to come between us or anything like that, but things are definitely going to be different. Yet I forget sometimes that both of his parents and both of his brothers died, I still have my mom and Prim, so it's not going to be that different, but Peeta has family outside of us now.

So what'd you think? Good end to the Career story arc? Ready for some more AC/Gale drama? Ready for Annie and Finnick's wedding? It's all coming soon! Once I'm done with school, I'll be working furiously to get you guys as many updates as I can before I leave for Brazil. Please review! I love you all!