Music and the Beast

Summary: Caught up in a ruse to stay away from her past, top talent manager, Katniss Hawthorne wasn't one for music or romance. But maybe, there might just be someone to bring the music back into her life. Implied K/C, K/G, but ultimately K/P.

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance

Chapter Length: 6,798 words

Warnings: Swearing, suicidal themes, substance abuse, gore, graphic descriptions and general emo-shit.

First off I'd like to say thanks to all those who reviewed last chapter and added this story to their alerts and favorites list. You have no idea how much it means to me and how much I value your feedback.

A big thanks to my anonymous reviewers whom I couldn't thank personally, anon, , GIFtoJPG, KinnaFatniss, Cannoli, and Chrysalis.

Congratulations also to those who answered the Reader Pop Quiz correctly in their reviews and got a chance to see an extended preview of this chapter, DandelionOnFire, TheBlackMagicRose, Kamil the Awesome, underscore is back, and KillerTimes. Scroll down to see the rest of the chapter you haven't already read (or read from the start to see some non-major revisions I've made).

This chapter is a lot shorter than my usual ones, but that's because it packs quite a punch in emotional department. It was a little harder for me to write, because I was writing based on a lot of my personal experiences with a friend who went through similar bouts of depression when we were younger. For everybody who's curious as to what actually happened, I hope this chapter quenches your thirst for answers.

Anyway, enjoy the read!

Chapter 4: Explosions

Peeta drove around the city idly as Katniss sat in her seat, biting her nails, deep in thought. He made a turn to a familiar diner he had come to frequent in his stay before parking and unbuckling his seatbelt.

"What are you doing?" Katniss looked up from her reverie at Peeta who had now gotten out of the car.

"We're going out for a bite." He answered simply. "I haven't eaten the whole day, and I don't know about you but I'm starving."

Katniss looked outside the car to the bright neon lights that decorated a beat-up old diner.

"It's the only place I know that's open this time at night." Peeta explained. "Don't worry, the food's better than you think."

Katniss frowned and refused to get out of her seat. She was adamant about not moving until her stomach betrayed her with a large resounding growl.

"Looks like The Beast's tank is empty." Peeta laughed. "Gotta fill her up now."

Katniss glared at him before unbuckling her seatbelt begrudgingly and getting out of the car.

"That a girl." Peeta walked over to the other side of the car to meet her and shut the door behind her. "Don't worry. It's my treat."

Katniss just rolled her eyes as she got out of the car slowly, now trudging on the wet muddy ground, her feet heavy. By now the rain had withered down to a slight drizzle, and she didn't mind the soft spray of water against her skin.

Peeta, on the other hand hated it. "Will you hurry up?" He asked impatiently, getting cold as he held the door to the diner open for her. He wasn't usually such a gentleman, but he felt as if somebody needed to care for Katniss in the state that she was in. She walked right past him and he was thankful once the door was shut behind him and the heat from the diner's vent hit him like a warm embrace.

"Peeta!" A blonde waitress with large poufy hair reminiscent of the forties greeted from behind the counter as he guided Katniss to a seat in one of the cushioned booths. "Long time no see!" She walked over to them with menus in hand. She placed them neatly on the table before taking out a small pad of order slips and a red strawberry pen. Katniss examined the lady taking their order. Above her chest pocket, embroidered in bright red and blue was the name, Delly. Before she realized she was staring, the waitress' voice caught her off-guard. "Your girlfriend?" She gestured to Katniss with a slight nod of her head. She wore an implying smile on her face as she raised her brow teasingly. Katniss could feel the heat rise to her cheeks at her words.

"Oh god no." Peeta let out all at once before he realized how it sounded when he denied the waitress' claim so quickly. He dove in for the save. "Not that you aren't beautiful in your own right Katniss. You're just not my type." He added, turning to her to see she had a stiff frown on her face. He turned back to the waitress and whispered through gritted teeth. "Don't say anything stupid, Delly."

The waitress nodded slowly, knowing quite well what exactly Peeta's type was and not taking heed of a word he said. "Believe me, I'm not the one saying anything stupid." She joked discreetly, stifling a laugh. "So can I get you and your friend-that's-a-girl anything?" She asked as she turned back to the girl sitting in the booth, tapping her pen against the pad she held.

Peeta rolled his eyes at her. "I'll have my usual." He answered without having to look at the menu before turning to Katniss. "And Katniss'll have-"

"A coffee." She finished, refusing to even look at the menu. Despite not having even eaten breakfast when Gale offered it to her and the incessant growling that her stomach was letting out, she didn't feel like eating. "I'll have mine black and strong."

"That's what she said." Delly burst out, not being able suppress her childish sense of humor.

"Uh, yeah." Peeta took the waitress' hand and led her away from the booth so Katniss wouldn't hear. He had to do something or the stubborn girl would end up giving herself an ulcer. "Just get her what I usually have. She hasn't eaten the entire day."

Delly dutifully wrote the order down. "Anything else?"

He began making his way back to their table, calling back behind him, "And stop it with the 'that's what she said' jokes." He pleaded loudly so she could hear, a half-smile on his face. "They're getting pretty old, and I'm really not in the mood."

Delly laughed as she walked to the counter to deliver the order to the cook. He was walking right into this, wasn't he? She called back in a loud voice, "That's what she said!"

Peeta buried his face in his palm as he returned to their table and sat down. "She's a character, that one."

Katniss nodded and unknowingly let a small laugh escape her lips.

"You actually found that funny?" Peeta laughed incredulously. "And here I thought I'd have to dress up like a clown and set myself on fire to get The Beast to laugh when all I had to do was crack a few 'that's what she said' jokes."

Katniss gave him the best glare she could muster but fell flat at the thought of the image Peeta had painted. She settled for a small pout. "You need to stop calling me that."

"What?" Peeta asked.

"The Beast." She answered, fiddling with her fingers. This was a habit of hers, he had noted.

"I'm sorry, I guess it just stuck." He replied sheepishly. "So just Katniss then."

"Yep, just Katniss."

Katniss reveled at how the man in front of her had such an effect on how she was feeling. In the car, all alone, she felt as if the world was closing in on her and that there was no escaping the inevitable depression she felt at the time. But now here she was, only moments later, in this brightly lit diner, talking about immature high school jokes and nicknames with a man whom she had just met today and who still managed to make a huge impression. He had a way of lightening her mood, if only for a while, with his big smile and even bigger mouth, and she forgot why all those fights between them even occurred.

"Sounds a lot like catnip though." He let out, and she frowned at the mention of the word. Now she remembered.

Just when she thought she could have a decent conversation with the man in front of her, as he did so many times before, he had to bring up an aspect of her life that she just did not want to revisit. She couldn't blame him for it. He knew nothing about her past and he probably thought he was helping, when all he was doing was digging up deeply buried memories. She realized it was this man that had the ability to bother her so, to make her remember so many things in such a short amount of time, and it bothered her. It bothered her greatly.

"Gale used to call me that." She said when Peeta cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable at the sudden silence she had left him with. "But he doesn't anymore."

Peeta gauged her reaction and guessed. "It's complicated." He finished for her.

"Yeah." She nodded. "It is."

"If it's any consolation," Peeta began, knowing by now when to change the topic, "at least you're not named after bread."

Katniss laughed. He had no idea. "Yeah, I'm named after a duck potato, which is by far much worse."

"Seriously?" Peeta knew his name was odd. His father had always told him it built character and that he would definitely be remembered for it, but he couldn't brush off the shallow grudge he bore against his parents for naming him after flat bread. He could only imagine being named after a duck potato. "I don't even know what that is."

"It's sort of like a potato that grows under water." She tried to explain, but Peeta just grimaced at the image. "Well, technically I'm named after its flower, but you get my drift." Katniss explained further, not entirely displeased with her name. It was a pretty flower in its own right, and her father had taken poetic liberty with her name in a lot of his work. "You know the song 'Find yourself'?" She asked.

"Yeah, of course." Peeta answered enthusiastically. It was almost embarrassing how much of a geek he was when it came to her father's music, but by now Peeta had come to appreciate when Katniss was willing to discuss with him any topic concerning her father, which he now knew to be a rare occurrence. "Got me through hell during my high school days."

"Well, the lyrics are sort of a play on my name." She smiled at the thought. "My father always joked around with us when we hit tough spots with money and his music wasn't selling. He said that as long as I found myself, we'd never starve."

Peeta burst out into legitimate laughter. "He said that?"

"Yep." Katniss just smiled, enjoying his reaction. Peeta was a mood changer for sure, be it for good or for bad. But right now, his smile was contagious.

"That is so cheesy." He had to cover his mouth with the back of his hand to stifle the laughs. "Didn't think he was that type of guy."

"There's a lot people don't know about my father." Katniss shared, more thoughtful, but with a smile still on her face, and Peeta was grateful that the particular pieces of information he managed to get out of her weren't bringing out any bad memories. "I just wish I could show people that side of him, you know?"

"Well, you're sharing it with me right now." Peeta offered. "That's a start right?"

"Yeah, I guess so." She smiled a genuine smile and Peeta found it hard not to focus on how much better she looked smiling. A small part of him inside was proud that he had gotten that out of her, and a larger part of him challenged himself to do it more often.

Delly arrived with their order just then, happy to see that Katniss' mood had brightened since the wait. "Here 'ya go. Diner's special breakfast for dinner." She said as she laid out the large order of food in front of them, plate after plate of artery-busting goodness. "And a black coffee for the lady." She turned to leave to give the two some privacy. "Enjoy your meal!"

"You're eating all this?" Katniss asked Peeta, her mouth agape at the amount of food in front of them.

"Nope, half of it's for you." He answered as he got his knife and fork ready, surveying the spread, at a loss as to where to begin.

"Peeta, I can't." Katniss shook her head worriedly, the sheer amount of food overwhelming her.

"Don't be ridiculous, of course you can!" He had to struggle to get the words out as he began stuffing his face with scrambled eggs. "This place has the best blueberry pancakes in the state." He assured her.

"No Peeta. I literally can't." Her eyes were wide at the mention of blueberry pancakes. "I'm allergic to blueberries." She explained simply. "I'd be dead before they even reached my stomach."

Peeta almost choked on his food when he heard what she said and he hurriedly grabbed a glass of water to down the food in his mouth before proceeding. "You're exaggerating." His brows furrowed at the thought that he would have inadvertently caused the death of the girl in front of him with his craving for blueberry pancakes.

"I probably am, but I'm not willing to find out." She laughed. Although Peeta's plan had gone awry, she couldn't help but appreciate his effort. She wasn't one to keep track of her health, and everybody around her just went with it, having stopped trying a long time ago. She was brought back to this morning when Gale hadn't even given her refusal of food a second thought. The last time somebody tried to force her to eat was when she used to eat meals with her family all together.

Peeta frowned, his mouth still half-stuffed with food, obviously displeased at his little mistake. He looked like someone had taken the fun out of his newest toy. "How 'bout bacon then?" He lifted a fork of bacon to her.

She looked up at him as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. She didn't have it in her to say no, after all his kind intentions. "You're in luck." she said finally. "I happen to love bacon." She grinned widely as she took the large strip of bacon from his fork with her hands and nibbled on it as if it were jerky. "Thank you."

Peeta smiled, having finally done something right. He started piling a ridiculous amount of bacon on her plate and Katniss made no effort to stop him. She was hungrier than she thought.

"So are all your siblings named after obscure vegetables?" Peeta asked as he made quick work of the pancakes, worried that the mere sight of them would make Katniss break out in hives. He found the topic of Katniss' name unexpectedly interesting, and he figured it was safe ground to start getting to know Katniss better.

"Not vegetables, flowers." She stressed. "My sister and I were named after my parents' favorite flowers." She explained, nibbling away at her strips of bacon, stopping only for a few sips of orange juice. Her black coffee went untouched. "Of course my sister was blessed with a more flattering name than I was." She laughed.

"I find that very hard to believe." Peeta countered sarcastically. "You can't get any better than duck potato."

"Please don't make that into a new nickname. I get enough of that from Prim." She scrunched her nose in distaste. Peeta found that cute, or as cute Katniss could get in her perpetual stony disposition.

"Is that her name? Prim?" Peeta ignored her request and jumped to the next topic. He wouldn't allow her to deny him the entertainment that was poking fun at her rather original name.

"It's short for Primrose." Now those Peeta had heard of. "She loves her name." Katniss fiddled with her plate of eggs. "Personally I think it makes her sound like a complete prep."

"I can imagine." Peeta noted that Katniss talked about her sister with a tone of pure affection, despite it all. 'She must mean a lot to her' he thought. Before he could further the conversation, the muffled sound of a phone ringing cut him off. He vaguely recognized the ring as a certain blonde baboon's latest single and took a stab at a poor piece of sausage with his fork in annoyance.

Katniss cursed under her breath and Peeta looked up, eyes wide in realization when Katniss shifted uncomfortably in her seat, obviously embarrassed that the sound was coming from her phone. "Seriously?" Peeta gestured toward her with his fork, the sausage still impaled on its end.

There was no use hiding it now. "I have got to remember to change my ringtone." She had difficulty digging for her phone in her pockets which had seemingly shrunk from the rain. "It's past midnight. Who the heck could be calling me this late?" She growled before furrowing her brows at the caller ID.

"It's not Snow, is it?" Peeta voiced out in worry. He propped himself up on his seat to see who it was on Katniss' screen. "Isn't that-"

"My sister." She finished. "I wonder." Katniss wore a frown on her face in thought before she finally picked up. "Hello, Prim?"

Peeta set down his fork as he struggled to listen in on the conversation. He knew it probably wasn't right, but he couldn't help himself.

"Prim, slow down." Katniss breathed out, her voice suddenly grave. "Just lock the doors, shut the windows. Don't let mom out of your sight." Her voice shook as she spoke. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"What was it?" Peeta sat up, alarmed at her tone.

"I need to get home." She got up from the table and darted out, not leaving Peeta any time to react.

"Katniss, wait!" Peeta got up to follow, knocking over her cup of coffee, spilling its contents on his pants in the ensuing panic. Delly ran over to help him, paper towels in hand.

"What was that about?" She asked, sincerely worried.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." He handed her a wad of bills and apologized for their abrupt departure and unfinished food, promising to make it up to her later before running out of the diner.

He was relieved when he remembered that Katniss' keys were still safely in his pocket, preventing her from escaping to who-knew-where exactly. He found her pacing back and forth, unfocused and frantic.

"Katniss!" He called out, running over to the girl, panic written all over her face.

"My keys, I can't find my keys." Katniss had her pockets outturned as she dug for her missing keys.

"Katniss, your keys are with me." He reminded her, which earned him a cold glare. "What the hell is going on?" He grasped her by the shoulders, trying to calm her down.

"Snow." That was all it took for Peeta to understand. "I need to get home. My mom, and Prim-"

"Katniss, you're not driving anywhere this late." He urged her.

"What do you expect me to do?" She practically screamed, her eyes brimming with tears. "This is all my fault." She collapsed against him, sobbing.

"How far is it?" He asked, holding her quivering frame, trying to settle her.

"Peeta, no." She let out weakly wondering why he would go to such lengths for a girl he barely even knew.

"I'll take you there." He took her by the wrist, trying to force her into the passenger seat.

She pulled her wrist out of his grasp, refusing. "No Peeta. This is my problem. I'm not dragging you into this."

"Katniss, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't even be in this position." Peeta's raised his voice without thinking.

Katniss stared at him a look of pure disbelief on her face. "So that's why you've been doing this?" She spat out, feeling stupid for not realizing it earlier. "Because you pity me?"

"Katniss, no. I didn't mean-" Peeta tried to explain.

"I don't need your fucking pity." Her knuckles were a bare white as she clenched them tightly. She barely registered the seething pain that came with her nails puncturing her skin in the process. A small trickle of blood trailed down from her clenched fists, making Peeta's eyes widen.

"Katniss your hands." He gulped, suddenly remembering the marks he had seen on her wrists. He willed himself to look away from her hands and back at her. Her eyes were wide and crazed her jaw clenched tightly in silent fury.

Katniss paused before raising the objects of Peeta's alarm slowly, her eyes focusing on the dark trail of liquid seeping from four wounds on each of her hands. The sight of blood unhinged her.

Peeta approached her cautiously as she was transfixed with her bloody hands. "Katniss?" His voice was soft, as if the volume would send her off the edge. "Are you okay?" As he was close enough to feel her heavy breaths as they condensed in the cold air surrounding them, her frame gave way and Peeta caught her just as she was about to fall. "Katniss?" He panicked.

Her eyes were open, but unfocused, and she didn't seem to hear him. It unnerved him to see her in this catatonic state, here, but not really here. She trembled in her stirring unconsciousness as Peeta tried to shake her out of it. A cold shiver ran down his spine alerting him to the familiarity of the situation as he held the limp frame of the girl in his arms and he pushed the memory back before opening the door to her car with difficulty, settling the oblivious girl on the passenger seat. He took her hands and examined them, grateful to see that the cuts weren't very deep and that the blood had already begun to clot stopping the flow of blood. "Sorry Katniss, but I can't let you go alone. Not like this." He buckled her seatbelt up for her and pushed the matted hair back from her forehead and eyes behind her ears before making his way to the driver seat and driving off, not really knowing where to go. He contemplated taking her to the hospital but he had a gut feeling Katniss and hospitals didn't quite mesh well together.

"I need to know where I'm going Katniss." He pleaded, but she just sat there, eyes veering off into nowhere.

He stopped at a gas station, filling up for the possibly long drive that awaited him. He checked up on Katniss, whose eyes had now began to droop from fatigue. He saw the end of her phone sticking out from her pocket and in a decisive move, pulled it out. To his relief, she didn't protest. He stared at her, a sad look on his eyes. "What happened to you?" he whispered to himself.

He scanned her phone's caller history to the last call and dialed it, hoping he could get directions or at least know how to deal with Katniss' current state from her sister. "Hello Katniss?" A small urgent voice emerged from the phone.

"Uh hi." Peeta mentally scolded himself for not thinking of a better greeting. "Is this Primrose Everdeen?"

"Who is this?" The voice returned defensively, obviously expecting Katniss on the other line.

"I'm a friend of Katniss'." He began. "She can't drive right now, so I'm taking her. I need directions."

"I don't believe you." Prim answered. For someone with a rather small voice, her animosity did strike a punch. He didn't blame her. He couldn't imagine that Katniss had a lot of friends to begin with. "What did you do to my sister?"

"It's a long story, I can explain. I just need-"

"I don't know how you got your hands on my sister's phone, but If you're one of those goddamn reporters, we don't have anything to say to you and you can all just fuck yourselves." She hung up. Peeta cursed. Apparently general distrust and misanthropy ran in the family. He suddenly wished he were one of those crazy fans who made it a point to know where their favorite idols lived, as creepy as it sounded. At least then, he'd know where the heck he was going. He kicked the tire of Katniss car in desperation before a disturbance distracted him.

"Get the hell out of here, 'ya old drunk!" The gasoline station's shopkeeper had thrown out a man in a struggle. The man barged out of the shop barefoot, throwing profanities in the air as he stumbled out. His shoes made an appearance as the shopkeeper threw them out as well, hitting the drunk on the back before settling themselves on the ground with a thud.

"Fuck it. Who needs 'ya!" Peeta knew that voice.

"Haymitch!" He yelled, trying to call the man's attention before realizing that was a stupid idea. He highly doubted the man's awareness of his surroundings at the present. He turned to Katniss, to see she had fallen into turbulent sleep, and then back at the drunk man who had now started to walk out of his sight.

He got back into the car and drove off to catch up to the man who was by now at the island that divided the lanes of road, walking unsteadily along the thin patch of elevated ground.

"Haymitch!" He called again as he drove slowly by the drunk man's side. This time, he noticed.

Haymitch wore a frown with his red half-lidded eyes as he trudged to the side of the car and leaned on Peeta's open window. He smelled very strongly of stale sweat and strong liquor.

"Well if it isn't little mister badass." He said in a long drawn out drawl. "I'm a big fan of your work." He laughed. His head tipping to the side from gravity.

Peeta put the car on hazard as he tried to reason with the drunk. "Haymitch." Haymitch's attention had gone to a little firefly which had drifted close enough to distract him. "Haymitch!" Peeta practically screamed, catching the man's attention. "I need you to focus." Peeta's voice was uncharacteristically grave.

Haymitch frowned, his eyes suddenly sparking with awareness as he focused on the limp figure of the girl on the passenger seat, bloodied hands and trembling incessantly even in her sleep.

"Katniss. She-" Peeta trailed off. He didn't know where to begin and how much he could reveal.

"Spit it out boy." Haymitch growled.

"Her sister called. There was trouble. She wanted to go alone, but I couldn't let her, not this late at night." Peeta's words were jumbled and his speech frantic. "And she got angry, and then there was blood, lots of it. And suddenly she-"

"She saw the blood?" Haymitch tried to confirm. Peeta furrowed his brows at the man as he nodded. Haymitch knew something he didn't.

"You tried calling her sister?" Haymitch asked, letting himself into the car as he spoke, scooting over to the seat behind Katniss' and expertly adjusting her seat so it reclined, allowing him to push her over into a fetal position.

"Yeah. She wouldn't talk to me though." 'Told me to fuck myself is more like it.' Peeta watched as Haymitch examined Katniss' hands, pulling out a piece of cloth from his pockets, soaking it with liquor from his flask before cleaning and bandaging her wounds. "I just need to take her home, Haymitch." Peeta's voice shook as he spoke.

Haymitch narrowed his eyes as he looked Peeta over, deciding if he could be trusted or not. "I'll lead you there." He said simply before turning back to Katniss. "It's an eight hour drive. Hope 'ya know what you're getting into, boy."

Peeta breathed the most sincere sigh of relief he had in his life, leaning back into his seat and driving off.

It was morning by the time Katniss' labored sleep settled into a steady slumber and the changing scenery as Peeta drove provided a calming contrast from the bustling city he had driven from. He found the route they were taking familiar. It had been the same route he took once or twice a year to visit his family back home. He silently wondered if he'd get a chance to pass by, but then shook the thought out of his head. Katniss was the priority right now. They were way out of state by the time the sky held a tint of orange against the pale darkness as the sun began to rise and Peeta couldn't help but look back at how much had happened in just a day.

Haymitch had played his role well, guiding him out of the city via provincial roads as the scenery grew less and less urban. Peeta held a new sense of respect for the man who had stood vigil by Katniss' side, turning her over in her sleep and making sure to unclench her fists as a particularly strong tremor befell her. He had a feeling this wasn't the first time Haymitch had to deal with this, and in the back of his head, he wondered how deep his and Katniss' history ran.

"We're almost there." He let out, his voice surprising Peeta amidst the silence that he had endured for the most part of the trip, aside from Katniss' constant sleep talking and mumbling.

He surveyed his surroundings. This couldn't be right. This was only a few minutes' drive from his old neighborhood. Did Katniss' family live here? The familiar road sent shivers down his spine. 'It couldn't be.' he thought.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Peeta asked, his eyes trained on the road. Haymitch grunted, his way of saying yes. It was obvious that Haymitch wasn't one for conversation, but Peeta was determined to get some answers. "What happened to her?" he asked, finally gathering up the courage.

"'Ya best not be sticking your head in places they don't belong, boy." Haymitch replied, obviously trying to avoid the question, but Peeta pried on.

"While you were asleep, back in the studio-" Peeta began, "the sound of thunder scared her to death. She could barely move."

Haymitch huffed. "Sounds 'bout right."

Peeta continued. "She said something about explosions." He tilted his head in Haymitch's directions, gauging his reaction.

Haymitch just laughed at his insistence on the matter. "And why in the hell would 'ya think I knew a damn 'bout this girl's issues?" He crossed his arms as he took another swig from his flask.

"You're her godfather." He stated simply, as if it were an esteemed title. "You're bound to know something about her past. About her father, about what happened."

Haymitch rolled his eyes. "I couldn't care less 'bout Joseph Everdeen, much less about his fucked up daughter."

"Didn't seem that way a few hours ago." Peeta called him out. "Else you wouldn't even be here, showing me how to get her home."

The boy just wouldn't give up, would he?

Haymitch sat silent for awhile before he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, as if bracing himself for something. "How much 'ya know 'bout Joseph Everdeen's death, boy?" His voice suddenly clear and sober.

Peeta furrowed his brows. He knew as much as any other die-hard fan did. He had died of natural causes, being confined in the hospital for a long time before finally slipping away. "Apparently not much, if you're using that tone." He settled for playing dumb. If he was going to get all the details, he needed to be cunning about things.

Haymitch let out another laugh. The boy was clever, he observed, and he silently wondered if he was involved with Joseph's daughter just out of pure fanaticism for the band.

"The press say old Joe died 'cuz his heart failed him". Haymitch began.

"But that's not really what happened, was it?" Peeta finished.

Haymitch drew in a large breath before he continued. "Joe always wanted his family involved in his music. Didn't give a second thought if it fucked them up later on or not. Was a good thing for the most part, the others, not so much. Kat was a little daddy's girl, she was. Wanted to become a musician just like him, followin' after him everywhere he went. Had a knack for music just as much as her father did, and her voice." Haymitch paused. "Heaven."

Peeta nodded, it was true.

"When their mother started goin' off the deep end, Alzheimer's bein' the bitch that it is, things started gettin' bad." Haymitch frowned at the recollection. "Joe took the hit pretty bad. Dark times, those were. Dark times. Just wasn't there for the kids. Stopped writin' music entirely, spent most of his time on tour drinkin', sleepin' around. That was our last album. He was gone for so long, people thought he was sick or somthin'. Poor man was a mess. Was no wonder Kat got up and followed suit. That girl'd follow her father off a cliff if he jumped off it. But teens bein' teens, rebellion in their blood, after awhile, Kat left home. Ran off with that Gale kid and started her own band."

'So she's known Gale for that long.' Peeta thought, frowning.

"Lived on the hype of her father's name most of the way through. Would've been famous too if they got the chance to actually debut. Got into some real bad company before that could happen though. Alcohol, drugs, you name it. She was just so young damnit." Haymitch had to pause to regain his composure, getting unexpectedly emotional as he recounted the tale. "Joe sobered up after the first call from the police. He had to pick her up from the station. She was caught doin' drugs in the band's dressin' room. By then, Kat just wasn't daddy's girl anymore. He tried to get a hold of her after that, but by the time things got out of hand, it was too late."

"What happened?" Peeta gulped, overwhelmed by what he had just heard, but too engrossed in the tale to stop.

"Was the fifth or sixth time the police called old Joe up. Kat was drivin' under the influence, barely even conscious when they found her truck smashed up against a concrete barrier. Awful driver, she was. Wondered how she even got off the road in her state. Joe rushed to the station, like he always did. Was hell to cover up for her though, and most of the money we made from our music went to bribin' the press to stay quiet. When Joe got there though, Kat wasn't havin' any of it. Had to stop her from hittin' poor old Joe myself. God knows he wouldn't lay a finger on that child. The drive home was different that day." Haymitch's face darkened. "Don't know what happened in that car, wasn't there to see. But somehow, it veered off the road into a gas tanker. A poor old biker got mixed in somehow."

Peeta's eyes widened and he grasped the wheel of the car tighter than he had before. He didn't need to hear the rest. He recalled that night as plain as day.

He had been on his way home from his late shift at work. He'd taken two part time jobs to pay for music school and his latest job went on through past midnight. The road was calm enough, and as safe as it could be, three in the morning, barely any cars on the road. A particularly fast car overtook him that night, he remembered. It had almost took him out, but he had the sense to avoid it just before it could.

A half a mile later, he heard a loud crash. He arrived on the scene soon enough to see the driver of a gas tanker slouched over in his seat, face bloodied and unrecognizable, impaled in a stray shard of metal at the impact the truck had sustained against the car. Peeta rushed off his bike, not even bothering to set it upright, letting it fall down as he ran to the car that had crashed itself so badly into the truck. The strong scent of gas told him he'd have to move fast.

The door of the car was locked. He slammed his hand against the car window, screaming with all his might at the two still inside the car to open the damn door. The glass was partially shattered, but it wouldn't budge against the palm of his hand. He screamed, willing one of them to get the damn door open. The man on the driver's seat coughed up a little blood as he came to his senses, his ribs obviously pushed back into his form by the impact. He looked at Peeta, mouthing words he couldn't understand, struggling with all his might to get the door open. The man couldn't move. Peeta slammed his fist hard against the window in panic, finally enough to shatter the glass to get to the girl in the passenger seat.

'Save her.' Was all the man could say, copious amounts of blood now rushing from his mouth and his shirt, alerting him to just how badly he was injured. It was all he could do not to recoil at the sight. He wasn't going to make it. He nodded as he turned to the still unconscious girl, adrenaline giving him enough energy to haul her out through the window, cutting him in numerous places in the process. A particularly large gash through his leg made it hard for him to walk.

The girl was shaken into unsteady consciousness as he began dragging her away from the burning wreckage. 'Can you walk?' he asked through gritted teeth, his strength giving way. She nodded slowly, eyes unfocused, still dizzy from the crash. She struggled against the man who supported her before turning back. 'My dad.' She let out, coughing. 'He's still in there. You need to go get him.' He couldn't tell her that he was past saving, so instead he let her down and returned to the wreckage, trying as best he could to get the man free. The man shook his head as Peeta crawled into the wreck of a car, trying to pry him from the wheel that pressed against his torso. 'Save yourself.' He let out through gasps of breath. 'Take care of my daughter.' Peeta was crying as he called out to the girl only meters from the wreck. 'He won't budge! I can't get him out!' The girl stood shakily and screamed. 'Save him! You can't leave him!' A loud whooshing sound alerted Peeta to something being ignited, and he knew he didn't have much time left. The man shook his head and Peeta understood. Peeta crawled out of the wreck and ran to the girl, tackling her to the ground as he shielded her from the impending explosion. And all he could remember were her shrill screams as the wreck blew up in flames, right before her eyes.

He was that biker.

Her fear of thunder and explosions, the familiarity of her eyes that time outside in the rain as he furiously knocked on her window, pleading for her to open the door, and her limp frame against his – they all made sense now. He turned to Haymitch to see that the man was now in tears. He wasn't so far off himself, finally realizing the gravity of what he had done that day. This was where it happened, and he had witnessed it all.

"Saved Kat before the whole thing went up in flames." Haymitch bent over as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "Joe wasn't so lucky."

He wasn't so lucky either.

Peeta had lost his leg that day, waking up at a hospital bed to find a stump in its place. When he asked about the girl and her father, the nurses and doctors just shook their heads sadly. He had just assumed they didn't make it, and to this day, he had considered that night his one biggest failure. The man had told him to take care of his daughter. He couldn't do even that. He had spent the rest of his life wishing he could have done more for the girl and her father, even if it cost him more than what he had already lost. He couldn't live with the guilt. His leg was a constant reminder of that.

But fate had a funny way of coming back and biting you in the ass.

"Kat never did stop blamin' herself for the whole thing." Haymitch continued, but Peeta wished that he would just stop. He couldn't hear any more of this, or he was going to break. "Didn't even attend 'is funeral. She just wasn't herself after, nightmares every night, blackouts, on the worst days, she wouldn't even move. Couldn't even bring herself to use her own name. Took all that we could do to stop her from endin' it herself. After awhile, she just ran away from it all. Never even heard from her 'til yesterday."

He was tied to this girl in more ways than one, he realized, and he would never stop owing her – for her father's music and inspiration, for not being to save him, for her losing bouts with depression and for inadvertently causing so much emotional damage that he wondered if they could even be fixed. Fate had dealt him a difficult hand when he found out he was responsible for the hell Katniss had to live through each day and he didn't know how to deal with it anymore.

Just when he thought the worst was over, Haymitch's face grew solemn as he stared off into space in front of him. "We're here."

Peeta had unknowingly made a promise to Joseph Everdeen that night, and he was going to do everything in his power to keep it.

Notes: So yeah, Peeta saved Katniss :o (why are we all not surprised, haha). And Primrose swears. Yay for Modern Day AU!

Sorry for the short chapter (comparatively) and semi-cliffy, and sorry for starting the story off so happily and then crushing your hearts with the saddest shit I've ever written. I was actually tearing up while I was writing Peeta's recollection of the event. It was very emotionally taxing, so excuse me if there are blatantly obvious grammatical, syntax, and spelling errors in that area of my writing. I just couldn't bring myself to read back on it because it hurt so much to write X( I almost feel bad for overshadowing Delly's awesome sense of humor with a shitload of emo crap.

For all of you who connected the dots before the big reveal, good job. You are mind readers. For all of you who didn't, sorry for making Peeta lose his leg (again), but I thought it tied in well with the story, and I didn't want to stray too far off from the story's inspiration.

Again, thanks to all those who reviewed. There are so many of you who put this on their alert list, and it makes me feel so happy. Don't be afraid to make your presence known once in awhile in the reviews.

And now for the Reader Pop Quiz.

From where in the original THG novel did the line "I'd be dead before they even reached my stomach." originate?

Post your answer along with your review for an extended preview of the next chapter.

Chapter 5: The Wounded

They pulled up to a normal looking bungalow, except it wasn't so normal looking, not with a hundred or so cameramen, reporters, journalists and crazed fans camped out and crowding out in front. 'What exactly was going on?' Peeta's brows furrowed as she stopped a few hundred meters short of their ultimate destination parking behind the shade of a few trees, effectively concealing them. "What do we do now?" He asked the older man. "We can't exactly walk Katniss to the front door. They'd be on her in a second."

Haymitch just frowned. " Fuckin' Snow's done it now, hasn't he." He muttered miserably, taking a swig of alcohol from his flask before looking back at where they had drove from, deep in thought. "Gonna have to take the long way 'round now."

"Lead the way." Peeta offered quite willingly, stealing a glance at still sleeping girl beside him.

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