A/N I would like to thank everyone who has followed, favorited, or reviewed my story. It means so much. I'm glad you're enjoying this fic. I'd like to thank greenwool for beta'ing this bad boy for me, my husband who pre-read, and edited, and my son who helped me with a random question one day.

Chapter 8: Katniss

Katniss should have been more specific. She had wanted more from her job. Now she thought that she should have wished for more vacation days or more hot cocoa in the break room. Instead, she got more responsibility, more visibility, more recognition. After those first seventeen images came in and she realized that the astronaut that everyone thought was dead was actually alive, she found herself on the fast-track to promotion and involvement in one of the biggest events in the history of NASA. Even Apollo 11 and 13 would pale in comparison to the massive rescue effort necessary to get Peeta off Mars.

She was now a fixture at directors' meetings, press conferences, on conference calls, and was, as Johanna had pointed out, the SME. She found herself running to catch up, studying everything she could find on the mission: training manuals, equipment specs, logs, training videos, crew bios and files- everything- so she could better interpret her observation of Peeta's movements on the surface and deliver improved analysis of the imagery. That's what she told herself. It had nothing to do with her growing fascination with the man who occupied most of her waking hours as he plodded around on Mars.

JPL being able to directly communicate with Mellark had been a relief. Two-way comms now superseded satellite imagery in monitoring his status. It also took some of the pressure off Katniss. They had another grunt in SatCon take over weekend work so she could have some time off; and this weekend she finally felt relaxed enough to take it.

At first she thought she'd sleep in, but she realized that was a hopeless cause when she woke up on time, which was around 7:10am. She decided to go for a hike instead of a run.

Getting out of the city and venturing a familiar path with nothing but a water bottle was freeing. Sam Houston National Forest had some good trails, though she missed the beauty of the mountains.

Born and raised in western Virginia, Katniss loved the Appalachian Mountains and the way the land seemed to rise up in gentle folds to embrace her. The low mountains were beautiful without obscuring the sky. Their summits might have clouds resting on them or sometimes in late fall or early spring they'd have a little bit of snow that didn't reach the valleys. The shady gloom of the valleys had an almost magical quality as though you were deep in the forests of fairy tales. Katniss felt secure in the woods. Secluded in the crevices of the mountains, she was at home, at peace.

She paused in her hike. She'd already gone a few miles and she sat on a fallen log and took a long drink of water. Walking south from the northern trailhead for the Lone Star Hiking Trail, she'd passed through woods, crossed a creek, and walked through a place where the trees were thin and the forest floor was covered in ferns. This was one of her favorite trails because this section was surreal and felt like something from a fantasy novel and reminded her of the feeling she got in the shadowed valleys of her mountain home.

Those days of getting lost in the mountains came to an end when she was eleven. Her mom fell into a deep depression after her dad died. Katniss tried to shield Prim from the worst of it and keep them both going to school, looking presentable, and made the most of what was in the cabinets. Her mom finally got help when the cupboards were empty and an eviction notice was on the door. She returned to nursing and took a job transfer to Florida as the mountains held too many memories that haunted her and threatened to send her back to the dark place she had worked so hard to escape from.

Katniss was angry at her mom for checking out like she did after her father's death and she resented the move to Florida deeply. She missed the cool clean air of the mountains and how she could lose herself in them. In Florida she didn't have the same freedom that she had back home. Florida was hot, flat, and humid. The lack of sheltering terrain and lush green trees made Katniss feel exposed and the sun was glaring. But most of all she hated being so far from where her father was laid to rest and the familiar places they both shared. It was like her mom want to forget everything, but Katniss clung to her precious memories like a lifeline.

Reaching a good turnaround point, she took another long drink of water and had a small snack of dried fruit. Just enough to give her energy and keep her moving until she finished the trail and could get a late lunch. A light breeze blew at the wisps of hair that had fallen out of her braid and cooled the sweat on the nape of her neck. While she finished her snack, she looked around enjoying the scenery. This trail, while lacking terrain, was the closest thing in eastern Texas resembling her past mountain rambles.

It had taken her a couple of years to adjust, but she found that living in New Smyrna Beach, Florida had its perks. For one, the light sand and clear blue water of the beaches was spectacular. Katniss eventually was allowed to go to the beach pretty much anytime she wanted. She also enjoyed waking up early and going out to watch the sunrise and maybe get a little fishing in on the weekends. Swimming in the warm, salty ocean was vastly different than the cool mountain lake she had learned in with her father, but it still made her feel close to him. Living an hour north of Cape Canaveral, they often made the trek to see launches. Whether they were supply payloads, tests of new launch vehicles, or launching crews into space, they were there.

When Katniss was a senior in high school, her mom took off work and drove her and Prim down to Cape Canaveral to go and watch Antares 1 launch. Katniss was awed to witness the first manned mission to Mars lift off.

Her love of the mountains and forests of her childhood home was equaled only by her love of the stars. Her father said some Native Americans called them "spirit campfires". It made them feel warm, inviting, and close rather than impersonal, distant balls of burning gas with no purpose. Just as sure as the well-worn trail that passed beneath her silent feet on her hike this morning made her feel closer to her father, so did the sky and stars beyond.

As a high school student the idea of a career at NASA, studying the stars, and helping forge ahead with new science and discoveries thrilled her.

Now, years later, she was working for NASA. She had fulfilled her dreams.

Katniss came to a clearing on the trail and gazed up at the cloudless blue sky. Dream and reality collided. It was amazing sending humans to Mars, but there was still so much risk. Was it all worth it? The glory of pushing the boundaries of human exploration had always carried behind it a shadow of death. Whether it was ships lost at sea, colonies vanishing without a trace, or the fateful Apollo 1 disaster, death was a companion to exploration.

She pushed these negative thoughts aside, choosing instead to fill her lungs with the fresh wild air of the forest that surrounded her, losing herself in the nature before her: the bare trees, the underbrush, the crunch of leaves under her boots, the dusty dry smell of the trail that mingled with the rich tangy scent of rotting leaves, the squirrels bounding and bouncing from branch to branch. She listened to the sigh of wind, the bird calls, and the creak and clack of the naked branches.

Katniss finished the hike with a spring in her step, her braid swaying, and headed back to her car.

She went to her favorite sandwich shop in Huntsville, just on the north side of the forest, and texted Prim. It was nice to just focus on ordinary everyday things and not the life and death struggle that was playing out on Mars.

Two hours later and back at home, she took a nap. When she woke, Katniss had to shake off the cotton-head feeling that lingered from sleeping too long. The sky was already transitioning to pale yellow and orange as the winter sun set early. She nuked a meal from the freezer, grabbed a cider from the fridge, and took everything to the living room to catch up on her favorite shows on Netflix.

It had been a long time since she had had such a lazy day. She enjoyed it, but couldn't help wondering if she was missing something important, or feeling as though she really should be the one in SatCon right now. Though, in all actuality, with a 7:10 am wake-up, by now Peeta Mellark was, like her, finished with his day and was probably kicking back in the Hab with his pre-packaged dinner watching whatever shows he could find on his crewmates' thumb drives. She snorted a little laugh imagining how similar their activities were, even though they were on different planets.

Thanks to her nap, Katniss wasn't tired at her normal bedtime, so she grabbed the quilted throw blanket off the back of the couch and another cider from the fridge, and went out to the back patio she shared with Darius. She pulled one of the metal chairs out from the table and dragged it to the edge of the patio to get a clear view of the sky. The racket made her cringe, and she hoped that Darius wasn't asleep. Then she wrapped herself warm and cozy in her quilt and curled up in the chair.

Katniss looked up into the dark night sky, her eyes tracing the contours of the constellations her father had patiently taught her on their camping trips. Sometimes Mom and Prim came along, though usually they stayed home. Katniss treasured this time alone with her dad whether hunting or camping. He understood her. Her independence. Her directness. He loved and accepted her as she was and encouraged her love of nature. In so many ways they were kindred spirits, except he had a readier smile and was more easily affectionate. She missed him so much, but now the memory of him evoked a dull ache rather than the acute pain it had caused for so long.

Finally, Katniss let her eyes rest on a shining red dot between the trees, Mars. She struggled to make sense of the reality that there was a person all the way out there, alone, hoping for rescue.

She heard the door open and shut behind her.

"Mind if I join you?" Darius asked.

"No, go ahead," Katniss answered with a smile.

A chair scraped against the patio and settled next to hers and Darius came around and lowered himself into it. He sat quietly sipping the beer he brought out. He looked up. "You want one?" he asked, waggling the bottle at Katniss.

"Nah, I'm good." She lifted her own hard cider to show him.

He smiled. "How was your day off?" he asked.

"Good. Went for a hike. You?"

"Ah, did some yard work," he said, gesturing at the yard.

"I noticed. It looks nice."

"Thanks."

They continued to sit in silence.

"The stars are beautiful," Darius ventured.

"They are," Katniss answered.

More silence.

"Looking at the stars makes me think of my dad," Katniss found herself saying.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, we used to go on camping trips together or hunting. He taught me the constellations and their stories," she said. She remembered how he would take her arm in his and point out the stars connecting the dots until she could see the picture emerge.

"Your dad sounds like a good man."

"He was."

"Was?"

Katniss nodded, a lump forming in her throat. Even after all these years it was still hard to speak of her father's death.

Darius's face softened in understanding.

"Star-gazing makes you feel closer to him. Is that why you went to work for NASA?" he asked.

"Yeah, might have something to do with it."

They sat in silence once more. Katniss appreciated that Darius didn't feel a persistent need to talk. The silence didn't feel awkward at all. Though granted, lacking loquaciousness, he was still the one who tended to break the silence.

"So that astronaut," he began to say, "do you think…I mean…can they really…rescue him?"

Katniss thought for several moments.

"I think so, yes," she said slowly, "I think they can do it." They have to do it, she thought to herself.

Darius nodded an affirmative.

Katniss pointed up, to the bright red dot she had been contemplating before Darius came out. "You see that star there? The reddish one, between those two tall trees?"

"Um…"

Katniss leaned over and pointed so they were both looking at the same spot.

"You see that bright star there?"

"Yes."

"That's Jupiter…now, there's a reddish star right next to it."

Once he had it, she settled back in her own chair.

"That's Mars."

"So that's where he is," said Darius thoughtfully, "We're looking at him, after a manner of speaking."

"Yeah."

"Whoa," he said in awe.

They passed another quarter of an hour in silence sipping their drinks. Darius rose, "Well, I think I'll be going in now. I'm on duty tomorrow. And, thank you, for letting me join you and showing me Mars and all."

Katniss smiled up at him. "You're welcome."

"Mind if I join you again sometime?"

"Any time, Darius."

Katniss wasn't ready to go back in yet, so she pulled her blanket tighter around herself. Though the day had been pleasant, almost warm, the evening was chilly.

She spent Sunday tending to the household tasks that had fallen by the wayside over the past few months. All in all it was a quiet restful day.

Monday, she was back in SatCon and working long hours gathering and analyzing satellite images from Martian sunrise to Martian sunset. The familiar monotony was broken up by live comms between Peeta and NASA.

Their exchanges amused Katniss. She could sense Peeta's latent frustration with a faceless bureaucracy dictating his life after months on his own. She saw her own fierce independence mirrored in him. Once you've been self-reliant, you don't really go back. How could he depend on people who were millions of miles away when there were immediate things that needed fixed or tended to. Peeta had nothing to lose in his situation and his snarky commentary came out frequently, though he was mostly respectful. She imagined he must be happy to have contact with other humans now, although it was a double-edged sword as it invited their interference. After all that silence, now NASA wouldn't shut the fuck up.

She kept up with the satellite coverage of Peeta's movements and of the Antares 3 site, getting a little uptick in her pulse when she actually captured one of him outside. All in all he was elusive. The only time she could be sure of catching him was on solar cell cleaning day.

Her daily schedule followed the cycle she had fallen into over the past several weeks: wake up, run, shower, eat breakfast, work 12-ish hours downloading satellite pictures, analyzing them, and sending them along to Haymitch, sprinkled with the occasional conference call or consulting Haymitch or Seneca at a Press Conference. Then she went home, had a microwave dinner, watched a little Netflix to unwind, and headed to bed and then started it all over again when the alarm went off.

Thursday was another slow day in SatCon. The images streamed in steadily, but there was effectively no change in Mellark's status. So Katniss used the down time to watch training videos. They had hours and hours and hours of video of the crew going through training to prepare for Mars. She watched the crew's interactions, paid attention to the equipment they used, but found herself inexplicably drawn to the young blue-eyed astronaut. An unlikely candidate for the crew, he'd be the youngest man ever sent to Mars. But the more she watched she saw why they chose him, and why they were so devastated to lose him. He brought a steadiness to the crew. He had an uncanny knack for solving problems in unique ways that even the technicians overseeing the training couldn't predict. She also couldn't help but notice he was stocky, but strong, with broad shoulders that tapered to a narrow waist; he was pleasing to look at. His voice was masculine, but gentle. His eyes, whenever he looked at the camera were kind, his smile a mixture of sweetness and shyness, his laugh was infectious.

Katniss started watching the videos to learn more about the mission, but now she was intensely curious about her charge. This man was a mystery to her. The son of bakers, he became an astronaut. From small-town USA to Mars, how on earth did he get on such a path? He had ongoing pranks with his fellow crew, but nothing that hurt or offended anyone, just silly stuff. Katniss thought that Odair side-eyed the crew a little wistfully sometimes, even while reprimanding them, he looked like he wanted to join in. In tense stressful moments, Peeta kept it together the longest and managed to keep the crew calm. Katniss wanted to know more and more about him.

She broke away from the video to download the latest batch of satellite photos.

Katniss sat slumped at her desk, her head resting in her hand as she flicked through the set of images. Suddenly she sat up and peered closely at the screen. Her breath caught as she zoomed in. Was that what she thought it was? Yes! A dark face mask against the light colored EVA suit. He was looking up! He was looking at her. Well, not at her, but at the satellites she was in charge of. He knew she was watching. Well, not her exactly there either. He had no idea she was even alive. But he looked. And her heart beat a little faster.

He knew they were watching him via satellite now. How often did he look up like that she wondered? Katniss squeezed her eyes shut and tried to reach for him across the millions and millions of miles across space, to send her thoughts into his mind, to let him know he was not alone. But he was. And she couldn't help him. She felt foolish, but she continued to stare at that image for a while longer before finishing the rest of the images. He was cleaning the solar cells. And eventually he disappeared, having gone back into the Hab. She was surprised at the odd feeling of sort of missing him.

From then on, she kept a keen eye out for him looking up again. It was already unusual to catch him at all, but to catch him looking up? Well! That made her day, her week, her whole endless series of shitty months since first finding him alive.

The next Saturday, her schedule had rotated enough that her wake-up time was 11:50 am. With the sun well into the sky, she made breakfast. Although it was lunch time for normal Earthlings, it was breakfast for Martians. Her hike last weekend had whetted her appetite for the outdoors. So this weekend she decided to solo camp in the forest along the shore of Lake Conroe. She got on I-45, heading for Sam Houston National Forest and some of her favorite trails again.

It was nerve wracking. When she made the decision to solo camp two-hours away from Johnson Space Center and NASA, Katniss just thought it'd be invigorating to get outside and immerse herself nature.

But as the miles stretched behind her and she thought about how long she'd be gone, she had time to doubt and second guess herself. What if something happened and she wasn't there? Should she just turn around and go back home? But she was this far already, she might as well finish it. Plus, she had decent cell-coverage; they could call her if they needed her.

She stopped in the small town of Panem for supplies. It was the nearest town to her chosen trailhead. She parked in the small parking lot of the grocery store. Inside, she picked up some bottled water. While she had a durable Nalgene bottle at home, she preferred the thin plastic bottles of store-bought water because she could crush them when she finished them, and they'd take up less space in her pack. Then she picked up some beef jerky and trail mix for protein, dried fruit for energy, and some Cup Noodles because they were cheap, filling, and gave her something warm to eat on a chilly night. She'd eaten a lot of Cup Noodles growing up and in college. "Tastes like home," she'd joke with Prim when she came to visit.

Finally, she found a decent brand of instant coffee. She hadn't been a fan of coffee till she started working at NASA. Her dad drank coffee religiously. He'd let her smell the grounds before he brewed them in the morning. She always liked the aroma of fresh coffee grounds, but she hated the bitter taste of the finished coffee. Even now the smell of coffee reminded her of early mornings with her dad. Her mom drank coffee too, but she discouraged her girls from starting that addiction if they could avoid it. Katniss was content with black tea until finally, working the overnight-shift in Satellite Condition, she broke down and became a regular coffee drinker. She experimented until she found she liked it best with a little sugar and a lot of cream. It overcame the bitterness without being too sweet.

The last item on her list, fuel for the personal camp stove was over in the outdoor section with picnic products and grilling supplies. Finally, her shopping list complete, she made her way to check-out with her items and headed back out to the small parking lot and looked around.

Panem always struck her as timeless, but not as though something from a century ago was preserved, like a museum. Neither was it entirely modern. It kept an air of quaint fresh innocence of time past while growing up with the town and the world around it. The stores had attractive hand painted signs that were slightly weather-worn giving them an inviting lived-in feel. Large bay windows displayed their goods. Some shops boasted of having free wi-fi. Above the shops were apartments where some merchants continued to live, others were rented out. There was something that made the community feel close and warm like no one was a stranger here.

Normally, when she left the store, she'd just get in the car and leave in a hurry to get to the trail, but this time she was brought up short by the delicious aroma coming from the bakery. Realizing this was the Mellark's bakery, the very place where Peeta Mellark lived and worked was intriguing. She had only been in Panem a couple of times before, and that not for longer than necessary to procure backpacking supplies. It wasn't until news reporters interviewed Peeta's family that she learned he was from this small town.

It smelled wonderful. Even outside, the scent of fresh baked bread and warm sugar enticed her and made her stomach rumble in anticipation.

Standing at the window, she looked in awe at the display of beautiful cakes, breads, and pastries. The bell above the door gave a cheerful little jingle as she walked in.

"Be right out!" called a man from the back. It was late-afternoon by now, almost closing-time for the bakery. They were cleaning up the back and finishing up the last orders for the day.

Katniss took advantage of being alone to look around. There were a handful of cafe tables and chairs against the windows. Glass cases in front of her displayed cookies, muffins, pastries, and a few other items. Behind the counter was a wall of wooden shelves with baskets for many types of bread though only a few had bread left in them. Several paintings hung on the buttery yellow walls, simple light fixtures hung from the ceiling, and the wood flooring had a dark stain between dark mahogany and ebony. Everything worked together to give the place a cozy, homey feel. Katniss could easily imagine a little family coming in on Saturday mornings for breakfast pastries or kids stopping by for cookies after school. She had to wonder why anyone would want to leave?

Lost in thought, she startled a little when the man called out again. He burst through the door to the storefront a little flushed and short of breath. "How can I help you?" he asked kindly as he took his place at the counter.

Katniss regarded the stocky blond man then looked down at the cases. She was flustered to see a man who looked so much like Peeta standing right in front of her, but wasn't. They had the same blue eyes, the same build (though this man was heavier set), the same smile (though this man had a beard).

"Um, some of those cookies, please," she said pointing at the lemon sugar cookies.

"Sure! How many?"

She didn't know. Just one to try? A couple for tonight? More for tomorrow? Sensing her indecision the stocky blond, "Rye", his name tag said (she recognized it from the memorial service and news interviews), spoke up again.

"Well, we're past the busiest part of the day. Normally cookies are a dollar each, but I'll give you six of them for $3."

"Oh, um.." Katniss hesitated.

"It's really okay, it helps me get rid of 'em and will help you have more to enjoy or share," Rye said smilingly.

"Okay," Katniss acquiesced.

"Anything else? Coffee? Tea? Soda?" Rye asked. She noted that Rye's voice was deeper than Peeta's.

Katniss didn't need a drink so she surveyed the cases again and her eyes fell on the cheese buns. "Just…um…those cheese buns…all of them." Katniss knew the savory rolls would be nice to snack on tonight and make a decent breakfast in the morning.

"Sure thing!" Rye turned to get an additional white paper sack and package the four rolls for her.

Katniss paid, her heart rate climbing all the while, and rushed out of there. It really rattled her to be so close to Peeta's brother.

She got a hot sandwich from the little diner across the street, knowing she needed to eat before going hiking. She sat on a stool at the bar along the diner's front window. Incidentally, this gave her a direct view of Mellark's Bakery. Katniss watched as Rye, who seemed about Peeta's age, maybe a little older, cleaned up the storefront, sweeping and putting chairs up. A blond woman helped him out. A sister? No, Peeta had only brothers, from what she could remember. At the memorial service, his dad stood with two younger men. No sister. No mother either. Employee? Yes, but the way she and Rye interacted it was clear they were more. Yup! That was a real kiss. Then she saw the glint of rings. Married. She must be Rye's wife. So Peeta's brother runs the bakery now with his wife, Katniss surmised.

She tore her gaze away from them and instead focused her attention on the people walking on the sidewalk, teenagers loitering on a corner, men and women filtering in and out of shops, and people walking their dogs. The grocery store she had gone to was up the street. She had seen a yarn store nearby as well. Her mom might have loved it once. Her mom no longer knit, but it had been a way she showed her love to her family by knitting them scarves and hats and mittens to keep them warm. It was like a hug you could wear. She hadn't knit anything since…well, a long time.

Eventually her attention was drawn again to the couple across the street as they finished closing up the bakery. They reminded her of happier times: the adoring way the woman looked at Rye, the way he clearly aimed to please her. Their intimacy as they seamlessly worked together to close up the bakery punctuated with little touches and kisses was just like her mom and dad.

Her dad seemed to be everywhere lately, in the stars, in the woods, in the bakery across the street.

Katniss wondered what it would be like to have someone there. Really there to come home to. To share the big things and the mundane things with, like the couple across the street. She had a couple boyfriends in college, but they never got that serious. Her focus was always on Prim. Now, Prim was in college and no longer needed Katniss to look out for her like before. But the sudden stab of pain that shot through her at the memory of the tragedy that ended those happy times as a family and effectively her childhood, drew her abruptly from her reverie.

She got up and threw her trash away, then gathered her things and walked back to her car. She left of Panem and before long was deep in the center of the forest at the parking area for her chosen trailhead.

Her hike led her east through woods to Lake Conroe, then suddenly swerved westward and meandered through more woods before turning back east to the lake again. Turning north she followed the edge of the lake for a little while before choosing a place near the shore to camp for the night. It was only about 3 miles. Short, but challenging as she raced the sun to her campsite. She set out a small tarp and set her well-worn pack on it. She spent some time choosing a spot for her camping hammock. She found it at a 'garage sale' at a large outdoor retailer where customers could sell old gear. She still got a lot of use out of it.

She hung a tarp between two trees with the hammock slung underneath. Then she attached the under quilt under the hammock and laid the top quilt inside it. Then walked down to the lake for a bit. When she returned to her little primitive campsite, she rearranged the smaller tarp so she could lie down on the ground with her backpack for a pillow and look up at the sky. Watercolors bled above her as the sun set.

It had been dark for a couple of hours when she felt hungry again. She lit her tiny camp stove and heated water for the Cup Noodles. When they were finished, she reached for the cheese buns and beef jerky to eat with them. The sugar cookies made for a pleasantly sweet dessert afterward and it made her thankful for Rye's generosity.

Satisfied, Katniss laid back to look at the stars. It was times like this, at night, after they had eaten and were feeling warm and full and drowsy, that her father would tell her the stories of the stars and constellations. There was one about naughty children who ran away and became the Pleiades star cluster. Another about two canoes in a boat race down a river in which the canoes were the belt and dagger of Orion and they were going down the Milky Way and the star Sirius was a boulder in the Milky Way "river".

But Katniss's favorite one of all was the story of the Four Great Hunters and the Great Celestial Bear that told the story of the Big Dipper. Perhaps she liked it because they were hunters like she and her dad. Perhaps it was because they willingly faced danger to protect those they loved. Perhaps it was because when the odds weren't in their favor, they defeated an impossible foe. They didn't give up. They kept on going, despite great hardship.

She began to recount the story to herself just the way her dad used to tell it, even as the Big Dipper, or Great Bear, began to rise in the sky.

One day, the people of the village discovered the tracks of an enormous bear in the woods outside of their village. They were much too large to be from an ordinary bear and the people were frightened. They knew it was the Great Celestial Bear. Each morning the tracks were closer and closer to the village. The people began to stay inside. The children did not play any more. The men were hungry and restless. The birds no longer sang and the game stayed away. The four Great Hunters decided it was time to do something before the Great Bear came to the village itself. They rose up and said they would track this bear and kill it.

Their uncle tried to stop them. He said, "The Great Celestial Bear is magical! You will put yourselves in great danger if you follow it. It will trap you with its magic and destroy you. Then what will we do?"

But the oldest of the brothers said, "We have something other men do not." He petted the dog who always stayed faithfully by his side. "Notice the patches?" He rubbed the dog's head and brought Uncle's attention to two dark patches above its eyes. Uncle nodded. "Four-Eyes here can follow any trail, though it is days-cold. Though other men may give up or lose their quarry, Four-Eyes never loses the trail. So you see Uncle, we have our own magic."

The Uncle was impressed, but not convinced. "The Bear is very large," he said, "how will you bring it down?"

Here a younger brother spoke up, "The same way we do any game, Uncle, we will chase him long and far until he tires and then kill him."

The Uncle realized these Great Hunters were determined to pursue the Great Celestial Bear, so rather than discourage them, he gave his blessing. They began to go to the woods. The youngest, who was fat and lazy complained that he was hungry and shouldn't they stop and eat first? The others made to leave with or without him, and groaning, he joined them with only a sack of pemmican.

They searched for the Bear's trail.

The lazy fat brother was hungry so he reached into his pemmican sack for some food, but when he drew his hand out it was covered in white worms! He told his brothers, "Look what the Bear has done to my pemmican!" The Bear had used its magic to spoil their food so they couldn't eat it. But the brothers would not give up or be deterred.

Just then, Four-Eyes picked up the Bear's trail and led the chase!

The Great Bear had hoped to come up behind the brothers and catch them, but they caught sight of it first. It was gigantic and white. It was unlike any bear they had ever seen! They all yelled and chased after the bear with renewed vigor.

The Bear was used to people being frightened, but these fierce wild men were charging at it along with their dog leading the way, barking loudly. So the Great Celestial Bear, feeling fear for the first time, turned and ran. It ran and it ran, through thickets and swamps, up hills, and down valleys. The brothers would sometimes lose sight of the Bear, but they soon saw him again as they crested each new rise. Finally they started up a long mountain trail. Still they did not tire of pursuing that Great Bear.

The fat lazy brother pretended to fall and twist his ankle. "Brothers!" he called, "You must carry me!" The brothers would not leave him behind so they picked him up and took turns carrying him and his spear while they pursued the Bear. The Bear was tiring, but so were they. They did not fall behind, but they could not get closer either.

Day turned to night. The ground was dark beneath them. Yet still they ran on.

Four-Eyes caught up to the Bear and nipped at its tail as they ran. They neared the top of the mountain and the fat lazy brother said, "Brothers, my leg is well now. You can put me down."

Now, his brothers were very tired, but the fat lazy brother was rested, so he was able to run faster than them all. He caught up with the Bear and thrust his spear right into the giant beast's heart and its blood spilled out.

When the other brothers arrived to the top of the mountain, their youngest brother had already started a fire. He said, "Come, let's eat! We have been running for a long time and we are all hungry!" So they cut up the bear, and cooked it, the fat dripping from the fire, and they ate the meat victoriously. They had pursued and killed the Great Celestial Bear!

They ate and celebrated until even the fat lazy brother was full, which was no small feat! Then they lay back, drowsy and satisfied.

The oldest brother looked at his feet, and startled. "Look below us!" he cried out to his brothers. And they looked. And they saw thousands of bright lights in the darkness below them, above them, and all around them. They were not on a mountain top; they were up in the sky.

And it was so- the magical Bear's feet had taken it high above the earth as it tried to escape, but four brothers' strength and endurance and determination to not give up carried them up the strange trail.

Then the little dog, Four-Eyes yipped. And they looked. And the bones began to rattle and come to life again.

The Great Celestial Bear rose up and ran off. The Great Hunters took up their spears and renewed the chase again. And so they go, around and around every year.

Her dad said that the Native Americans believed that the Bear's blood spilled down coloring the leaves in the fall and the fat that dripped from the brothers' fire became the snow that coats the earth in winter.

Katniss was pleased with herself how at much of her father's tale she remembered.

She had once had a low opinion of the lazy brother. She even complained to her father about the unfairness of the ending. But now, she wondered if he really was clever and it was all just an act. Or was he clever and lazy? He was the one that alerted the brothers to the Bear's proximity by noticing that it had magically altered their food and then by having his brothers carry him, he preserved his strength to make a run at the bear later when they were all weary.

Finally weary herself, she changed out of her day clothes into warm sleeping clothes, then scooted into her hammock and pulled the top quilt over herself and went to sleep.

Sunday, she woke late and had a breakfast of trail mix, some more of the cheese buns, and instant coffee mixed in water. "Trail coffee" was an ordeal and was simply a way to get caffeine in so she didn't get a headache. She could pack sugar and powdered creamer but since this was a simple solo camp, the first she'd had since the fall, she was more interested in bare bones than comfort or pleasure.

She texted Prim as she sat on a stump soaking in the late-morning's rays. Prim informed her she'd be able to come home for Spring Break. Katniss was torn between excitement to see her sister again and knowing that with her long work hours and having very little time off right now, she wouldn't get to see much of her. Prim assured her that with many of her friends being in town, she'd have plenty to do.

Katniss broke camp and packed everything up, including trash, and hiked back to her car and made the two-hour drive home.

She felt refreshed in a way that she hadn't in a long time. She was going to have to do this again she thought to herself, as she slid into slumber in the comfort of her bed at home.

Another week passed like the previous week. Long hours. Satellite images. Snarky banter between Peeta, JPL, and NASA.

On Thursday, there was another director's meeting. Like most director's meetings, it wasn't the most exciting, but Katniss paid keen attention as Seneca caught up with the progress each group was making toward Mellark's rescue. Johanna updated about PR. They discussed who was going to be interviewed on CNN next week and what was and was not on the table for discussion. JPL was still scrambling to get the resupply ready and to keep comms patched between Peeta and Earth. NASA was working furiously to provide all the necessary training and support for the rescue effort. Katniss didn't have much to add. Two-way comms let them talk to Mellark directly and she still downloaded satellite images all day everyday and sent them to Haymitch.

They were becoming a haggard bunch, and they were a long way from rescuing Mellark. She wondered how they were going to make it until Antares 4.

Gale Hawthorne continued to side-eye Katniss as the only non-director in the directors' meeting, though he no longer questioned her presence there.

Near the end of the meeting, Seneca revealed that an independent board had been established to review the events of Sol 6 that left Mellark stranded on Mars. Katniss was blindsided by that turn of events. As the directors heartily gave their assent she kept her own disapproval to herself. They talked of "safety" and "responsibility" and "margin" and "procedure", but she felt what they really meant was "liability" and "blame". Eventually the meeting was dismissed.

Katniss followed Haymitch into the hall.

"You're not really in support of this are you?" she hissed at him.

"What are you talking about?" Haymitch swung around and faced her abruptly.

"The inquiry!" Katniss said.

"Sweetheart, it's procedure," he said turning around and continuing to walk down the hall forcing Katniss to follow. "If a significant event occurs a review board is formed to figure out what went wrong and how to improve things in the future."

"But you know what happened! They thought he was dead," she said.

He turned to face her again. "Yeah, but we have to look at everything: meteorology, communication, relay times, equipment specs, abort procedures, human factors. It's our responsibility that as much as humanly possible we prevent this from happening again." He looked at Katniss seriously.

"Mellark told you everything. Even he said it was an accident!"

"This is NASA, Sweetheart! Accidents here kill people!"

"But he's not dead."

"And now we have to figure out how to get that boy off Mars!"

"They did the best they could with what they knew!"

"I'm sure the board will come to the same conclusion," Haymitch drawled.

"And if they don't?"

"Well, the crew, especially the commander, will likely face disciplinary action."

"They're looking for a scapegoat you mean."

"Look, Sweetheart, I don't like it any more than you do. In fact you sound a lot like Mellark right now. He's already said he'll publicly refute anything the board says against Odair."

"He'll have to get in line."

"You know, I like you; you have a lot of…spunk."

Katniss snorted.

He sighed deeply and looked Katniss in the eye. "Look, Katniss," he began and Katniss knew he was being serious because he rarely used her name, "you're what, twenty-three? twenty-four?"

"I'll be twenty-five in May."

"Ah, you'll be twenty-five in May…Well, it's been over thirteen years since our last serious incident. You would've been a bit young to remember it, but the thing is, that these inquiries really are standard procedure. It should have been started a long time ago really, but with the crew mourning and us scrambling to deal with the news coverage and setting up the memorial and all, we just…" He huffed. "We didn't get it done. It should have been done. It has to be done. I understand you feel…protective...of Mellark because you're watching over him everyday, but I don't think they're looking for someone to blame. The board is professional and independent. They're mainly looking to improve procedures and design specs so if a storm like that pops up again, we don't have another stranded, or worse, dead, astronaut on Mars. They're not the enemy. Okay?"

Katniss pressed her lips in a tight line and nodded. Haymitch really was trying to placate her and had taken the time to explain things. She still disagreed, but it was no good continuing to argue. They had formed an odd sort of friendship, even if he frustrated her.

"Good." He nodded, then turned to walk back to his office. Katniss continued standing there for a few minutes watching him go before finally heading back to SatCon.

That weekend, she was still frustrated over the inquiry. Under the guise of safety she felt as though they were really just looking for a someone to blame so missions to Mars could continue. Mercifully, the soothing soft patter of rain and the comfort of her blanket-nest made it a bit easier to relax. She was so warm and comfy under her blankets that she hardly left her bed. She curled up with books she hadn't touched in months and she watched Finding Nemo and Princess Bride, two of her and Prim's favorite movies to watch together. And it was lovely catching up on sleep.

Tuesday evening, Katniss stood in the doorway of her house and looked at the picture of Peeta, tacked up to the wall with the map of the Martian surface and said, as she now did every time she left, "Stay safe." Despite everything, the inconvenience of her intense vigil over him, the long hours, living on Martian time, which was it's own special hell, and everything else, she had come to care for the idiot. She didn't want anything bad to happen to him.

Along with the usual things she tracked via satellite imagery and downloaded endlessly, Katniss had tracked a sandstorm this week. NASA meteorology had been on it for weeks, but now it was drawing close to the Antares 3 site. They assured her that while moderately strong, it wouldn't pose the same threat the first storm had and the most Peeta would have to do would be to clean off the solar cells and double check for any potential damage.

Meanwhile, Peeta had been working with NASA to troubleshoot the malfunctioning water reclaimer.

One of the exchanges between Peeta and NASA could be summed up as:

Peeta: The water reclaimer is acting up.

NASA: Here do this series of tests to diagnose the problem.

Peeta: All of the tests came back negative. It's not the electricity, or computer components, the compressor, or the temperature.

NASA: We don't know what else to do.

Peeta: I think it's a clog, how 'bout I take it apart and check it out.

NASA: Don't do that! You'll fuck everything up and die!

However, Peeta decided he jolly well fucking could and hours later…

Peeta: I took it apart. It was a clog. All fixed now.

NASA: Dick.

Katniss couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. That he could maintain a sense of humor, even with everything he had been through, only increased her respect for him.

By the end of her shift, Katniss knew that the storm would pass overnight on Mars (daytime for her). She worried about Peeta, wakened by the storm, no comms with NASA overnight, just having to wait it out. With the Hab routinely silent most of the time, the sounds of the storm would be disconcerting: the wind howling, the canvas shifting with the wind, the supports creaking a little with the strain. She did not sleep well that day.

The next day, she woke early for her shift at 7:50pm, and drove anxiously to NASA. Meteorology had said there was nothing to worry about. But, her stomach was in knots. She had a bad feeling about this. She rushed through security and down to SatCon. She brought the computers to life and started the process of downloading the first batches of imagery.

They revealed that everything was…absolutely okay. The solar cells were covered in a thick layer of dust, but everything else was fine. She exhaled in relief. She settled in for another routine day of watching the astronaut. Once her pulse calmed and she had cleared all the images and sent them along to Haymitch, she went to the break room for a coffee.

When she returned, she curled into her chair and blew on the coffee to cool it. She took a few tentative sips while she waited on the next batch of photos. When they arrived she leaned over and clicked on them. What she saw nearly made her drop her coffee in her lap. She set it quickly on her desk. She couldn't breathe, for a moment, she couldn't even speak. It was as if all the air in the room had been sucked out. The world slowed, seconds felt like minutes, it couldn't be real, what she was seeing couldn't be true. Oh, God, no! Peeta! Her pulse jumped and her breathing was rapid and shallow. Mechanically she flicked through each image. There was no denying it. She was looking at a flattened Hab, debris scattered in a conical field away from it. Air Lock 1 lay deflated 50 meters from the Hab. She picked up her cell phone and texted Haymitch. Emergency. Hab breach. Sending you the images now.