A/N: First of all, thank you to all those who took the time to read this and review and add to some form of alert. It means a great deal to me. This is the first story I have ever written so any feedback is much appreciated. Apologies in advance for any bad grammar. Hope you all enjoy! Here is the audition!

Also I don't own the hunger games or the song featured in this chapter! When the song is featured Katniss will be italics, Peeta bold and together bold italics.

Peeta POV

Chapter 2: Give Your Heart a Break

I was never one for enjoying travelling however after everything that had been unfolding in New York at the moment I was grateful for the opportunity to get away. Even if it was only going to be for a few days, it had gotten way to intense.

After Johanna broke off the engagement she told the director, Donald Snow, that she couldn't work on the movie anymore. That it was 'too painful'. She had some cheek, but if I was been honest, her not working on this movie suited me. After all that she had done to me, to our relationship, I was only too happy that she was backing out.

I felt the only downside of all of this was that I had to help with these auditions for extras in the movie. Snow had said 'we could find our new Hope in these auditions.' Who was I to argue with this logic? My only hope was that he was right. That we would find our now leading lady and we could get on with making this movie.

When I left New York on Tuesday night I didn't know what to expect when I arrived in London. It was my first time here so it was all very new. When we had landed my PA, Portia, and I made our way to the Ramada Encore where we were to stay and where I had been told the auditions where to take place. I spent the day trying my best to let my body adjust to the slight time difference.

The majority of Thursday was spent with Snow, his assistant Effie and casting director Seneca Crane in preparation for the auditions the following morning. I was informed we would be running lines from the scene where Hope and Erik have an argument that leaves them questioning the likely hood of the relationship surviving and using the song Give your heart a break that follows the scene to see if the girls could even sing. The more it was all discussed the more I started to wish that we would find a new 'Hope' while we were here. At least then it would feel that this trip had been worthwhile.

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When Friday morning dawned I was starting to feel sceptical about spending the next 8 hours stuck in a room with Snow and Crane. But all I could do was remind myself that we could possibly find a girl to star as Hope. That would bring the role to life and not just act it out. It took a few hours to find, in my opinion, slight possibilities. All these girls where done up to the nines... not at all what I envisioned Hope being.

"Peeta you need to relax and try connect with these girls. Don't judge on their image." Snow stated matter of factually between two auditions. I look and him and cross my arm over my chest in a defensive way. Did he not realise I was trying? It wasn't as easy as it looks. "Donald, with all due respect, I am trying. But I can't force a connection with a girl who doesn't have the chemistry with me. And to be perfectly honest with you, other than that Delly girl from about an hour ago, there is no one who fits the role for me as yet. Let's just start up again and see what we get."

The hours passed by in such a blur the auditions where starting to mould into one. There was only a few that where effective in standing out to Snow, Crane and myself. We took a five minute break and discussed who we had seen so far and agreed we were going to start calling it a day. "Let's get the last audition of the day in here and start calling it a day boys." Snow said as he sighed and stretched in the small chair. We were all in agreement that Delly, Clove, Glimmer and Rue were all candidates that were to be reconsidered... It had me wishing this last girl was amazing and had chemistry with me... because as nice as the other girls were, some of them anyway, none of them had chemistry with me. And for this movie to be what they wanted it to be, I was going to need to have chemistry with her.

"Katniss Everdeen is next on the list. Effie can you let all those still waiting that this is our last audition and they can try again in a two weeks when we return to start filming, and bring Katniss threw so we can get this underway and start getting ready to get back to the states." Seneca said as he walked around the table collecting all the bits of paper with all their notes.

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A few minutes later a girl walked in with Effie and there was only one way to describe her. She was breathtaking. Tall, slim built with olive tanned skin, dark brown hair pulled to the side and fastened in a braid and piercing grey eyes that could find their way to your soul.

I took a deep breath and put on my winning smile and started to walk towards her. She was so mesmerising to look at she was making me feel nervous. Why was she making me nervous when she hadn't even spoken?

As I got closer to her I extended my hand to shake hers and greeted her. "Hi Katniss it nice to meet you, I'm Peeta Mellark. I'll be running lines and singing the song with you for your audition today? That okay?"

She was silent for a moment before she shook her head and answered. "Of course." She said as she stared at me... Did I have something on my face? She took my hand in hers in and I felt a jolt of electricity pass between us. Wow! That was strange.

I directed her to the centre of the room where she was introduced to Snow and Crane. They asked us to take our places and that we act out the scene first and then proceed to the song which follows without prompt as when the line that leads to that song is said the music will start. And so as we stand and face one another and I give her a small wink in reassurance. Hoping she realises she has no reason to be nervous. I watch her close her eyes and take a deep breath and I was shocked when she started.

"You had no right Erik! That friendship meant more to me than anything I have held close to my heart. You had no right to interfere!" She had taken a strong stance, with her hand curling into fists at her side. She was showing Hopes anger like no one else had yet. She was showing her passion.

"No right? Hope he was trying to convince you we shouldn't be, convincing you that you should be with him instead. Explain to me how I had no right defending you, how I had no right defending us!" I wasn't just acting this out; I was feeling the emotion with her. I was matching her stance but I had one had pointing between us as I was speaking. Emphasising the point Erik was trying to make as best I could.

"You could have defended us with your words..." she said as she was moving towards me, her hand came up to touch my face. Her fingers ran along my jaw and along my lips. I felt that spark again when our skin came into contact but I made no move to acknowledge it and neither dose Katniss. And suddenly the warmth of her hand is gone, and I can no longer see her face as she turns away. "Instead of defending us with your fists."

I make my way to her and place my hands on her arms and rest my chin on her shoulder. I take a deep sigh and kiss her shoulder and move my head so as to rest my forehead where I just kissed. "I'm so sorry Hope. We can get past all this, just come home and we can talk this through." And then she's gone again. She's walking away from me, I feel so alone when she does it. How is a girl I just met having this affect on me?

"I don't think we can anymore Erik, too much has happened. We need a break... I need the break." As she says that she turns back to face me full on. Her words make my whole body ache. As if it is me she is saying this to and not the character. And with that thought in my head I do the only thing in my head that seems logical. The scrip says I am to provoke Hope to slap Erikand so I do what feels right.

I take 3 strides towards this girl I have only just met moments before and close the gap that existed between us. I look her straight in the eye and mouth to her 'Trust me' and she gives a slight nod of her head. And with that I put a hand on either side of her face and pull her flush against me as our lips meet.

I vaguely hear an intake of breath and a whisper from the others in the room as I do this; after all she is the only one who I have done this with, the only one who I had the chemistry with which flowed with a simple touch, enough to even allow me to consider trying this. And then again she is gone, she pulls back to look at me and as our eyes meet there is a look of utter shock on her face. Then all I hear is the sound of her hand meeting my face.

My cheek is burning. It worked, she slapped me, and that girl has some right hook. No other girl had followed through with that part of the script. Claiming they weren't comfortable with slapping me. Before I realise what is happening I notice her eyes close as she closes the gap between us and our lips meet again. And I experience a kiss like no other screen kiss I have ever had. It's full, passionate and utterly breathtaking... God I sound like a girl, but it is all the things the other girls didn't have with me... chemistry.

And suddenly it's over... again. She's backing away from me. "No! No Erik, this can't happen. This..." she points between us and has the look of a broken hearted girl on her face. "Us. It can't happen. We need a break, I need a break." I have to say, she's good. Now the question burning in my head was could she sing. Because if she could sing I had the girl who was my Hope.

"Let's go get a coffee then, we don't talk, just sit and have coffee. And then we can pick this up later." I start to walk away; this scene was all becoming rather improvised because of the kiss. The lines where right but we were doing what felt right, not directed. And then I heard her sigh, and when I turn to look at her, her body is slumped like she is all out of fight and she is staring at the floor.

"No Erik, I need a break from us." She turns away and I move back to her and turn her back to face me and she looks me straight in the eye as she says her last line of the scene. "I need to give my heart a break Erik. For now... I'm done."

This was it. The moment I had been holding my breath for during the scene for the last 10 minutes, and my god did she deliver. She took a deep breath when the piano struck up in the back ground and walked round me.

"The day I first met you , You told me you'd never fall in love, But now that I get you, I know fear is what it really was" She turns around and notices I am now watching her, and she looks shy. I give her a nod of encouragement... This girl has no reason to be nervous. "Now here we are, so close, yet so far, haven't I passed the test? When will you realize, Baby, I'm not like the rest"

"Don't wanna break your heart, I wanna give your heart a break, I know you're scared it's wrong, Like you might make a mistake" We sing this as we start to walk towards one another and I hold my hand out to her. And as she takes it I feel that jolt again. "There's just one life to live, And there's no time to wait, to waste, so let me give your heart a break"

She comes closer to me, closing the existing gap between us. "On Sunday, you went home alone, there were tears in your eyes, I called your cell phone, my love, but you did not reply." While I sing she grazed her free hand down the side of my face. Never once does she break eye contact. "The world is ours, if you want it, we can take it, if you just take my hand there's no turning back, Baby, try to understand"

"Don't wanna break your heart, wanna give your heart a break; I know you're scared it's wrong, Like you might make a mistake" As we sing the duet her body becomes flush against mine and her hands rest on my chest, close to my heart. My heart that is racing as I sing with a girl I have only just met. "There's just one life to live, and there's no time to wait, to waste, So let me give your heart a break" I pray to god she does not notice the rapid heartbeat beneath her right hand.

Luck is on my side, with her next line she moves away, she turns her back to me as she starts "There's just so much you can take, Give your heart a break, Let me give your heart a break, Your heart a break" She sings with so much raw emotion and talent, surely they see in her what I do? They must as they are still letting her sing. All the other girls had been cut off by now. Or those that couldn't sing had their dreams shattered much earlier.

"When your lips are on my lips" Her head turns to the side and I catch I glimpse of the slight smile that crosses her delicate features. "And our hearts beat as one," We sing in harmony. And I chance a quick glance at Snow and Crane. They are smiling, broad open smiles. They both see what I do. "But you slip right out of my fingertips" When I look back at Katniss she has mirrored my action and is facing the two men whole hold the cards as to whether or not she will be in this movie. "Every time you run" I turn to face her and there is a good few strides between up.

As she continues to sing I realise this is an opportunity to show its not fluke we sing in harmony and I throw caution to the wind. "Don't wanna break your heart, wanna give your heart a break" and she looks at me with a knowing look. This girl is good. She just doesn't realise it yet. "I know you're scared it's wrong".

"Like you might make a mistake, there's just one life to live, and there's no time to wait, to waste, so let me give your heart a break" At this point she walks towards me, eyes trailed on the ground. The shy girl is back and she looks unbelievably sexy for it, but this is her moment to shine and show exactly what she is made of and as I continue to sing that she is to "give my heart a break" I place a finger under her chin and bring her eyes up to meet my gaze.

"Cuz you've been hurt before, I can see it in your eyes, You try to smile it away, Some things, you can't disguise" That's a girl Katniss, blow them out of the water. And with that snow raises his hand and the music stops and we both turn to look at them. They are both still smiling. I could only pray that was a good sign.

"Thank you for your time Miss Everdeen. You have left us with much to discuss. You will hear form us within the next 24 hours in regards to the outcome of your audition." Snow said with a smile playing on his lips.

What the actual fuck? Was he serious? Why wasn't he offering her the part of Hoperight here and now? What was there to discuss? She was the best we had seen all day!

I looked to my left and she was smiling. A full happy smile and she was nodding. "That's fine. Thank you for today Mr Snow, Mr Crane. I look forward to hearing from you." And with that she turned to look at me, I wasn't letting her leave like that. "I'll walk you out Katniss" I said as I turned and walked toward her.

We walked to the door and when she went to opened it she hesitated and turned to me. "I'm sorry about your face Mr Mellark. I hope I didn't hurt you." I couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "Call me Peeta please. Mr Mellark is my father, plus I feel we will be seeing much more of each other. You are a very talented young actress Katniss. You are full of promise. And there is no need to worry. My face will be fine, you have some right hook."

She giggled. The most beautiful giggle I had ever heard. "Thank you Peeta. I hope we meet again some time." She extended her hand to me to shake once more. I shake her hand once but before releasing it I bring her hand to my lips. "I'm sure we will Katniss, but until then. Have a nice evening."

She smiles at me and opens the door and I watch her walk down the hall where a young girl with blond hair greets her with a hug. She gives me one last fleeting glance and then she is gone. But hopefully not for long I think as I turn and walk back into the conference room I have just spent the day in.

"Well Peeta..." Snow starts, he has a smirk on his face as if he is planning something. "What is your verdict of the day?" He knows how I feel. He knows who I want but he wants to hear it from my lips. Well that is fine by me as long as he listens to what I have to say. He knows me enough to know I am saying it for a reason.

"I think we found her," I say as I ease myself into my chair that faces both of them. "We found our Hope and I am sure your both agree with me when I stand by what I said earlier. For this movie to be what you want it needs to be her. She can sing and act... And she has the on screen chemistry with me which was what we all wanted. Katniss Everdeen is Hope."

They both smile and Crane turns to me, "I am glad we are all in approval. The role belongs to Miss Everdeen. We will inform her tomorrow and start filming in two weeks."

I can't help but smile. I will see those grey brooding eyes and beautiful smile every day for at least three months in exactly two weeks time. This trip was most definitely worthwhile.