Holy Cow. Almost 20 reviews for one chapter?! That's insane! Thank you so much, you guys! Seriously! WHOOOO HOOO!

If this is going to be the trend for the rest of the story - then I guess we are going to have ourselves some Catching Fire and Mockingjay! :D

Hmmm...Katniss giggling in a tree? Sounds about right!

Enjoy!


Katniss.

She's smiling – laughing even. Alive. Her skin is...glowing? My chest swells at her joy. Although...it appears my allies are a little less than thrilled.

"Shut up, 12!" Glimmer barks at her, sending another arrow her way. It sticks in the tree about a foot away from her. Katniss snorts and yanks it from the wood, wiggling it tauntingly.

"Thank you!" she beams. Then she looks up and sees me – her smile dropping from her face instantly.

Someone's happy to see me.

"Peeta," she breathes. Then her eyes narrow and her face turns into a pout. "Peeta, go away!

I frown and stumble in her direction. My voice is dripping in sarcasm, "It's good to see you, too, Katniss." Her shoulders slump disappointed that I'm not apparently getting her words. "Why?"

"Because I don't want you here. Go away." Her tone is joking mostly – she appears in a good mood – but there's an underlying warning in her voice.

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, right."

"Really," she insists. "Or at least get me a book or something. I have a feeling I'm going to get very bored up here, very quickly." Her eyes dart towards Glimmer who growls and shoots another arrow at her. Yet again, Katniss pulls it out of the tree and adds it to her collection. "Thank you!"

Marvel comes and stands next to me; hands on hips, shoulders slumped – looking exasperated."I've tried climbing the tree myself...but the wood's too flaky to hold my weight. And Glimmer's too weak to climb. I guess the scrawny bitch is lucking out."

I want to punch him. Who does he think he is? I could spit on him for the little nickname he gave her, but on another note–

Where the hell did he go? How are they both alive?

His face is pale – looking about as dehydrated as Glimmer. But they are both relatively unscratched.

And his statement makes me wonder if he realizes who he is talking to – if he's hallucinating as well. I don't think he would have said that to me had he realized that it was me and that was my Katniss he was calling a 'scrawny bitch.' "Cato, don't let Peeta near her, okay? I don't need him messing this up."

Oh.

I'm Cato.

Hmm.

"We'll set up camp," I say lowly. "Gather around the tree and get some rest. She'll have to come down for water eventually." Is that a Cato thing to say? Not in a million years would he tell them to simply leave her alone. He'd wait for her to cave. And besides, I don't want Katniss out of my sight until I figure out a new strategy. Marvel nods and pulls off his backpack to get out the blankets – accepting my answer. Glimmer is still shrieking at Katniss – but she doesn't seem to mind. Actually, she's seems almost...worried.

"You look thirsty," Katniss murmurs at her. She shifts awkwardly on the branch, reaching into her pocket for something I can't see. "Here." She throws down something sparkling and silver. As it hits the ground with a thud, I can see what it is.

A canteen.

Where did she get water?

Glimmer gasps and drops her bow, running over to Marvel with drink in hand.

They take turns nursing from it and I stare at Katniss in shock.

I then feel very angry – because while I'm trying to help her out – she's undoing all of my work.

I march over to the base of the tree. "What the hell are you doing?"

She shrugs. "I'm being nice."

"This is not a place for kindness, Katniss."

"I know! That's the thing!" she throws her hands in the air. "No one is ever nice in the Games! I'm being nice!"

I get the impression that Katniss is subtly mocking the Capital. If that's the case – well, shit.

"If you want to go home – you're going to have to make some exceptions," I growl. Katniss looks down, refusing to meet my eyes. I sigh and run my hands over my face.

"And I really do want you to go away, Peeta." She says it so quietly that I'm positive that Glimmer and Marvel can't hear her.

"But why?"

She takes a deep breath and connects stares with me. Apologetic. "Because I don't want you to get hurt."

"You're not going to hurt me. You don't even have a weapon!"

Katniss glares at me with sad eyes before reaching into her pocket again. She pulls out something small and shiny and twirls it – letting the sunshine bounce off of it. I focus in on the object and discover that it's very sharp and very familiar.

A knife.

Okay. Where is she getting all these things?

"You taught me how," she murmurs. "I think I can fend pretty well when the time comes."

I shake my head. This is unbelievable. "No."

"Then leave," she hisses.

The sound of heavy footsteps and snapping twigs are suddenly right behind me. I turn around and find myself face to face with Cato and Clove who are panting wildly. Clove looks really sick. Cato not much better. He looks at me in awe – maybe wondering how I'm alive and where Rue is. But I tell nothing of it.

"Hi!" Katniss beams brightly interrupting Cato's inspection.

He looks between the two of us and raises an eyebrow. "Wh – "

"I don't know," Marvel shakes his head. "Just get her down. Now. She's annoying as hell."

Cato waves him off. "Let me catch my breath, man. Where did you guys run off to?"

"Glimmer caught sight of 'the District 12 squirrel' hopping around in the branches by our camp before she started swinging away from the fire. Glimmer took off after her and she got stuck here. The branches aren't long enough for her to climb to the next tree." Marvel pinches the bridge of his nose and shuts his eyes tight.

Katniss climbing trees? What? I didn't know she could...

"And it would be much appreciated if you would leave me alone so that I could get back to my teammates," Katniss cuts in. Teammates? "I mean, seriously. I just gave you the water I was supposed to collect for them – so I'm pretty sure that makes us even. And besides, they're probably looking for me..."

"Sorry, girly," Cato grimaces. "I'm afraid I can't." Like hell you can't.

Katniss crosses her arms over her chest giving him a nasty look. "Excuse me?"

Cato's taken aback. "I...said I can't?"

"You should be ashamed!" Katniss suddenly starts shouting. "What would your mother say if she knew what you were doing? Her son – not showing her manners to a young lady! The very thought! What every happened to chivalry in the Hunger Games?" she harrumphs indignantly.

"Well – I – I'm – "

I can't help it. I laugh. They all stare at me like I'm crazy – and maybe I am. But seriously – how could I not? Katniss is embarrassing a Career, Cato – the strongest of them all nonetheless, over his manners!

God, I love her.

Clove, stands up from the forest floor and makes her way towards the bottom of the tree, mumbling curse words under her breath. She glares up at the tiny, giggling squirrel.

"I think I want to kill you."

Katniss smiles. "You're very charming, you know that?"

Clove starts ascending the tree slowly, obviously tired and trying not to break any fragile branches. When she's just in reach of Katniss' foot she reaches into her pocket for her knife.

Clove's eyes go wide, then. Her face a look of panic. She frantically pats all of her pockets before turning her head at us.

"Where the hell are my knives?" she shrieks.

"Oh! Do you mean these?" Katniss turns to her satchel next to her and pulls out five razor sharp knives – one being the one she already showed me. Clove's knives. And mine. "I have the rest of them in here. You all took off from your camp in such a hurry I thought I'd stop and pick them up for you." She twists the knives in her hand, admiring their sparkle. "I've always loved shiny things."

Clove growls low in the back of her throat and lunges for the knives above her, but Katniss stops her by putting her foot to her shoulder, holding her down.

"Ah, ah, ah," she chastises. "You can have these back when you let me go."

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome back Katniss – the dirty negotiator.

"Give me my knives, you little bitch!"

Katniss rolls her eyes with a huff. "Were you District 2's raised in a barn? Have you never heard of 'please' and 'thank you?' My goodness!"

Yep. I've never been more in love than I am right now. But the Careers don't find it as amusing as me. Cato turns to me, glaring. He picks Glimmer's discarded bow off the ground and shoves it into my chest.

"Well, Lover boy – it looks like it's your turn!" He can't be serious.

"I can't –"

"Why not? Because you're in love with her? This is the Hunger Games. Forget love."

I really want to point out that he should do the same, but even in anger, I somehow manage to hold my tongue.

"I would if I could," I lie through gritted teeth. "But all my arrows are broken! And now, dear Glimmer has seemed to have given all hers away!" I gesture towards Katniss sitting pretty up in the tree, a whole set of arrows in hand, swinging her feet and forth like a spoiled child. "So I don't really know what you expect me to do!"

Everyone goes silent. We really put ourselves in a jam. Katniss is high out of reach with God-knows-what in that mystical bag of never-ending supplies and we're down here – defenseless. I mean, of course they could take her by brute force, but Clove and Cato are very sick. And Glimmer and Marvel will soon need water again. As well as me.

Damn.

"Let's just rest," he commands. "I'll take watch and make sure our little squirrel doesn't go anywhere."

Katniss rolls her eyes. "You're too kind."

When I suggest that I can take the night shift again, Cato scoffs. "You can hardly keep your eyes open. Go to sleep." I plan on staying awake anyway, just so I can protect Katniss from Cato in case something happens. But as my head touches the blanket, I can't stop the sleep from crawling up on me.

I jolt awake again before I fall into dreams.

"It's okay, Peeta," I hear Katniss whisper from the tree. "I'll be fine. Go to sleep."

And I do.


"Peeta."

Poke.

"Peeta."

Poke.

"Peeta Mellark. Wake up!"

Another poke.

I open my eyes and see Katniss still perched up high in the tree, a handful of bark pieces. She launches another one at me and it gently bounces off my skin.

"What?" I whisper.

"You need to leave."

I sit up, head groggy from sleep. "Why?"

She looks over to the tree across the way, and frowns. "Because something bad is going to happen. Please."

I look over to where Cato is supposed to be awake keeping watch, only to find a snoring pile of pale skin.

I get up off the ground and brush off the leaves from my pants. "Are you coming with me?"

She looks over at that tree again, bites her lip, and nods. "I'll be right behind you. I promise. Just go!" I trace her gaze over to where she keeps staring into the dark trees. I squint my eyes, seeing a slight figure in the shadows.

And I see the whites of two, large doe eyes glance up at me.

Rue.

And something sparkles in her hand before I hear a faint gritting sound.

She's cutting wood? Why? Why is she here? Why is she with Katniss? Is that her teammate? Are there more?

"Peeta! Run!" Katniss whispers desperately.

Something hits the ground with a cracking sound – followed by the terrifying sound of buzzing. Marvel, the one closest to the tree, jerks awake – screaming. And soon all the Careers are crying out in pain, jolting awake, smacking their skin frantically.

Tracker Jackers.

I feel a sharp bite on my arm followed by a tingling sensation that spreads into a full out fire. Another one on my neck – then my leg.

My body is on fire – and I'm suddenly sprinting through unfamiliar parts of the woods. I can still hear the sounds of their shrieks. The world starts tilting, and I'm falling over. I crash into a tree, and when I finally have enough strength to pry myself off the wood, there is blood.

Everywhere. My skin is coated in it – and I scream. I try to wipe it away, but I can't get it off. Everything is red.

Ants start crawling up the sides of the trees – seeming to devour the woods in front of me. I stumble away and I hear someone call out from behind.

"Hemming!" It' Glimmer, I think. She's so stung that her face is hardly recognizable. How is she still alive? She has a knife in hand and is limping towards me – ready to attack.

I try to get away – but the world is spinning too fast and I fall.

This is it.

I'm going to die. My body is too on fire to even begin to get up. There is no fight left in me. I don't even struggle as I watch her raise the knife, ready to strike.

But the knife never meets my skin because out of nowhere – a single arrow pierces her heart.

And that is the last thing I see before I black out.


Poor, baby :-(

Hallucinations are brutal.

And - you're going to hate me for this but - Katniss is out for a couple more chapters (flinch) sorry :-(

But if it's any consolation...Peeta makes an ally next chapter - and it might not be who you expect...

I love reviews! Almost as much as I love you :3 Heeheeheeheee


Hmmm...haven't had an excerpt for a long time...

No.

It can't be - that - she was - And suddenly, my heart drops to my feet.

"Everything I say is true. I always mean what I say."

THANK YOU FOR READING :D


Another note (if you don't care about WCTCM then you don't need to read this)- WTCTM...yeah...about that...the more I think about having to 50 chapters...the less excited I get. Because that's A LOT of work and I'm REALLY LAZY. I think I wanna stick to the INL trilogy for a while...I'll post the chapters I have done up every Tuesday and Saturday - but after that it'll be on hold :P Sorry if I disappoint anyone.