With Peeta already asleep, Rue and Katniss finish gathering their supplies for the morning when they are suddenly startled by the Capitol jingle.

Both turn towards each other with confused looks, wondering who could have been killed that day. They make their way outside just in time to catch the picture of Thresh, the tribute from District 11, dissolve in the arena's night sky.

Rue and Katniss instantly know what this means. Rue has no chance of winning the Games now. Her fate has been decided.

"I'm sorry" Katniss tries to comfort the girl. Rue is strong. Despite reminding Katniss of her little sister Prim, Rue also slightly reminds Katniss of herself. Being the oldest in her family as well, Rue carries much of the family's responsibility on her shoulders.

But Katniss can see the pain in Rue's eyes. She shifts her body next to Rue's and rubs gentle circles on her back comfortingly.

"We'll all be fine." Katniss tries to reassure Rue.

She lets Rue snuggle up under her chin for the night. Katniss is exhausted and quickly falls asleep but Rue lay awake all night gazing at ceiling of the cave.

Just before the sun rises, Katniss and Rue awaken, gather their remaining supplies, administer the sleeping drug to Peeta, and make their way towards the Cornucopia.

Katniss and Rue sit hidden in the shrubbery that borders the Cornucopia. They wait, watching for a sign of any other tributes. But no one comes. Rays of sun now glisten off the Cornucopia and the faint songs of mockingjays are heard in the distance.

Just as the Capitol hovercraft puts the table full of packs for the tributes in place, a figure darts off toward the Cornucopia, snatches a pack, and races off. Foxface, Katniss recognizes her. Katniss and Rue commend her clever strategy.

When Foxface is out of sight, Katniss decides it is time to make her move.

"Stay here." Katniss commands Rue as she makes her way out of the shrubbery.

Katniss sprints for the table, but immediately senses danger as soon as she leaves the cover of the forest. Ignoring the feeling, she secures the strap of the pack on her arm and turns the corner of Cornucopia. She's almost made it passed the clearing when she spots a knife hurdling right at her head. Unfortunately, she is not quick enough to dodge it, causing it to slice her forehead.

The gash sends blood gushing down her face, blinding her right eye. Without hesitation, she readies her bow in the direction where the knife came. Disoriented, Katniss knows her arrow will miss as soon as it leaves her bow.

As she reaches in her quiver for a second arrow, a figure slams hard into her, knocking her to the ground. Before Katniss can even react, the girl from District 2, Clove, is on top of her, pinning her shoulders to the ground with her knees.

Luckily, Katniss is able to free her right arm for a moment and connects her fist with Clove's jaw. But Clove rebounds quickly, jabbing her knee into Katniss side and re-pinning her shoulders to the ground. Katniss involuntarily lets out a grunt of pain. Clove realizes she's jabbed Katniss in her wound when she begins to see the blood soak through her shirt.

"Aw, did I hurt you? I'm sorry." Clove scowls sarcastically.

In anger, Katniss tries to dismount Clove, but it's no use, she is too heavy and her grip is too tight. All Katniss can hope is that Rue is smart enough not to come out of her hiding spot to try and help her. And that Clove will at least make it quick. But she knows Clove means to savor the moment.

"Where's Lover Boy, District 12? Still hanging on?"

"He's out there right now. Hunting Cato." Katniss growls, and then proceeds to scream his name. "Peeta!"

Clove jams her fist into Katniss's windwipe, effectively shutting her up.

"Liar. Cato knows where he cut him." Clove grins widely. "What's this?" she asks poking at the pack. "Medicine for Lover Boy? Too bad he'll never get it."

Clove opens her jacket and searches for the cruelest knife in her array.

"What do you say we give the audience a good show?" Katniss begins to struggle underneath her.

"Forget it, Twelve. We're going to kill you. Guess you'll never get to say goodbye to your boyfriend. How sad." In a last act of defiance, Katniss gathers up a mouthful of blood and saliva spits it in Clove's face. She laughs and wipes it away. Unexpectedly, she uses her two fingers to dig into Katniss re-opened wound on her side. She can't help but scream in agony by the shear torture.

"Whoops! All right then. Let's get started." Clove mocks.

In her last attempt to die with dignity, Katniss stares Clove directly in the eyes, and clamps her jaw tightly bracing for the pain. Just as the knife's blade begins to cut Katniss lip, Clove's weight is effortlessly lifted off of her body. Stunned, Katniss is unable to process what just happened.

At first she thinks its Cato, coming to finish her off himself, but that thought is quickly replaced when she hears Clove screaming. Through her blurred vision she is able to make out Peeta gripping Clove tightly with a knife held at her throat.

At first she is confused. Did the sleeping serum wear off? How did he get there? Did he limp all the way from the cave? Just to save her?

She blinks a few times to reassure herself that she's not hallucinating and gathers her senses.

"Kill her, Peeta!" She screams.

"Not so fast, District 12."

Out of the forest walks Cato, with a tight grip on Rue and his sword held at her throat.

"You kill Clove, I kill her."

Katniss, still on the ground, stares at Rue in disbelief. She sees the sorry in her eyes.

"Let her go, Cato." Peeta snarls. By now he has limped his way in front of Katniss as a defensive position.

"No! Kill her, Cato!" Clove screams.

"Shut up!" Peeta's grip on Clove tightens.

"Let them both go on three." They compromise.

"Fine."

"One."

"Two."

"Three."

They simultaneously release the girls and push them in each other's direction. With everyone caught up in the commotion, Katniss is able to crawl to her bow. She grabs an arrow from her quiver, loads her bow, and shakily aims at Cato. Before Cato, can realize what's going on, he has Katniss's arrow lodged in his shoulder.

"You bitch!" He screams at Katniss.

"This isn't over." Cato snarls and then motions to Clove. "Let's go."

Both sides start off in opposite directions knowing that they are all in no shape to finish each other off.

When Cato and Clove are safely out of sight Rue and Peeta both make their way to Katniss lying on the ground covered in her own blood.

"What were you thinking?" He eases himself down next to her and gently lays his head in his lap.

"I had to get you the medicine." She smiles at him.

Rue unties the pack from around Katniss's arm and retrieves the syringe containing the medicine. Without hesitating, she jams the needle into Peeta's arm and presses down on the plunger.

"Ow! Thanks for the warning, Rue."

"Sorry!" She chuckles.

"Do you think it's working?" Katniss asks.

"It already feels much better!" Peeta smiles at her.

All three of them let out a sigh of relief. They all made it out of the feast alive.

"We better get back to the cave. We need to get Katniss cleaned up." Rue suggests. They both look at her, drifting in and out of conscious, the gash on her forehead and her injured side still bleeding profusely.

Peeta insists on carrying Katniss back to the cave because he says he is feeling much better, and Katniss is in no shape to argue. Rue walks along side Peeta, acting as a crutch anytime he needs support.

The Gamemakers are satisfied by the brawl that occurred at the feast, but only for the moment…