A/N: Once again, can I say that you guys are awesome?

The response to the last chapter was everything that I hoped it would be. Honestly, the thing I was most worried about was the baby's name! So, on that note, I'm glad everyone seems to like the name Lilly. *sighs in relief*

Also, note the song title! The first (and only) upbeat song in the entire story! Just think Peeta . . . plus some serious Rocky-style training . . . badassness is coming people . . . oh, yes it is . . .

Random Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games Series. As the past two stories show, my version of events would have been quite different.

Me: *sighs in contentment as she watches Peeta* He's so pretty . . .

Katniss: *nods in agreement* Yeah . . .

Me: *dreamily* Peeta . . .

Katniss: Hey, stop ogling my man!

Peeta: Is there a problem?

Me: Yes. You're sexy.

Peeta: And I know it.


Chapter 22: Eye of the Tiger

Risin' up, back on the street

Did my time, took my chances

Went the distance now I'm back on my feet

Just a man and his will to survive

It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight

Risin' up to the challenge of our rivals

And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night

And he's watchin' us all with the eye of the tiger


The following weeks are some of the happiest of my life. Peeta and I are in complete baby bliss. Nothing can bring us down. Even the fact that Lilly wakes up crying twice a night and sometimes takes hours to soothe does not bother us (much). I will sing to her, crooning each note as I rock her gently in my arms. Peeta will simply talk to her. Lilly likes his voice and always seems perfectly content when held in his arms. I understood. Peeta's arms are a very safe place to be.

They are very attached to each other, Peeta and Lilly. She seems to be the balm needed to heal all his wounds, even the ones that no one could see. I've never seen him so relaxed, so perfectly content, until he held Lilly in his arms.

The three of us are always together. Peeta hates to leave "his girls" for even a moment. I can't stand to have Lilly out of my sight for even a second. We are always together. And I soak up every single glorious moment. This is the family that I had always (secretly) wanted. That I had needed.

Haymitch spends more time with us than ever before. Lilly had him wrapped around her finger from day one and that attachment has only grown as the days stretched to weeks. It's extremely humorous and somewhat terrifying to see Haymitch cradle Lilly in his arms and coo to her. It's worse when he makes baby noises.

Peeta and I wonder if the lack of alcohol has finally driven him insane.

Finnick and Annie come by often as well. Finnick seems incredibly intrigued with the concept of an infant, constantly asking questions from everything to her sleeping habits—"Does she really wake up screaming twice a night?—to her eating habits—"Wow, that must be awkward"—to her diaper changes—"That is disgusting."

Johanna comes by when she can. Although she still sees her therapist and the doctors worry about her relapsing, District 13 still immediately recruited her into their army. Johanna doesn't mind. In fact, I think it's good for her. She finally has a way to direct her anger.

Prim comes by when she's not working, at least once a day, just to check in and see how things are going. She adores Lilly, and found a poor misplaced teddy bear just for her niece.

Rye is perhaps the funniest around Lilly. He's completely entranced. Everything she does, even blinking, is a momentous occasion. He begs for Peeta and I to go on a date so he can babysit and have her all to himself. Naturally, when he suggests this—which is at least once a day—Peeta and I answer with a vehement, "No."

There are some things that just scream trouble. Rye babysitting is one of them. He needs just as much supervision as Lilly.

The only negative since we brought Lilly home is Command. They've been hounding us to see her. They want to show her to Panem. As a propo. Like she was some prize.

Peeta's response to Plutarch doesn't even need repeating.

After they realized that Peeta and I would not cater to their whims when it came to Lilly, they tried recruiting Peeta again for propos and things. Naturally, Peeta said no. At the time I was nowhere near physically capable of anything that didn't involve taking care of my baby, and so they left me alone.

So, for the past few weeks, Command has let us be (reluctantly). But Haymitch has warned us that since it's nearly six weeks ago to the day that Lilly was born . . . medically I'm in the clear to go out into the field. And that's something that neither Peeta nor Haymitch in all their witty glory can possibly refute.

Slowly, for the past few days, the grey, ominous cloud of Command has been encroaching upon the bliss that Lilly's presence provides. Absently, I begin rocking back and forth as I hold my precious child in my arms. She's grown so much since her birth, though she's still tiny. I study her sweet little face with a small smile. Cute, chubby cheeks. Slightly parted pink lips. Eyes squeezed tight in sleep.

A wave of love washes through me, and I begin to sing softly.

Deep in the meadow, under the willow

A bed of grass, a soft green pillow

Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes

And when again they open, the sun will rise.

Here it's safe, here it's warm

Here the daisies guard you from every harm

Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true

Here is the place where I love you.

Lilly makes a cute little noise in response to my voice, but her eyes remain closed. I continue the song with a small smile.

Deep in the meadow, hidden far away

A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray

Forget your woes and let your troubles lay

And when again it's morning, they'll wash away.

Here it's safe, here it's warm

Here the daises guard you from every harm.

Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true

Here is the place where I love you

At the end of my song, Lilly finally opens her eyes. She grasps my finger with her tiny hand, holding on with all the strength she can muster. I know she doesn't yet realize the meaning of the song or the many stories behind it. She doesn't understand that the last time I sang that song, the child in my arms was dying. Sweet, sweet Rue. So brave . . .

Lilly stares up at me, a small smile gracing her face. My smile only widens in response. "Hi, Lilly," I coo. "I love you so much. More than you can possible imagine. Your daddy loves you, too. You're his little girl. And Grandpa Haymitch simply adores you. And Uncle Rye and Aunt Prim think you're amazing." Lilly stares sweetly up at me the entire time I speak, hardly blinking as she takes in my words. I know that she doesn't understand them yet. But she will know someday. "You are loved. Never, ever doubt it," I whisper as I kiss her forehead.

I glance at the clock resting on my nightstand, frowning when I note the time. It reads ten o'clock. Peeta should have been back an hour ago. "I wonder where your daddy is," I say to Lilly curiously. "Do you know?"

Lilly just smiles, and I laugh. "Of course you know."

Truthfully, I did have an idea as to Peeta's whereabouts. After all, he did make a promise to Lilly the day she was born, and every day since he has been working to make it true. Lilly's birth seems to have finally given him the push to throw himself completely into his recovery. Hoping to be of some help, I had finally shown him the sketchbooks and art supplies that I had taken from the house during our two trips to District 12. I felt guilty for holding on to them for so long, but they comforted me. It was selfish of me, I know. But Peeta, naturally, didn't say anything.

Instead, he took them with a small smile, thanked me, and then promptly began sketching. He started with the oldest sketchbook, the one whose pages were almost full. Peeta filled every remaining page with a picture of Lilly or of me. But the second sketchbook, the one that was completely blank, he didn't allow me to see. I never asked. I assumed his sketches were memories of his time in the Capitol. He didn't want me to see them, and quite honestly, I had no desire to lay eyes on them either.

But when Peeta isn't sketching or doting on Lilly, he is in the training center. I'd known that it bothered him that he wasn't as fit as he used to be, and in the past six weeks he's been doing everything in his power to rectify that. Dr. Riley even slipped him some protein pills that were supposed to help him gain back all the muscle he'd lost.

They certainly did the trick. Day by day, I watched as Peeta transformed his body into the muscled, cut form that I couldn't keep my hands off of. However, Peeta's maniacal work outs were not all that they seemed. No, I suspected there was a deeper reason. It wasn't about getting in shape again. It was literally getting back what he had lost, what the Capitol had took from him. Peeta was building himself back up in every way.

But Peeta is always back by nine o'clock. He will leave early, about five in the morning. I don't understand how he manages to force his body up that early, especially since we wake up at around midnight and three because of Lilly's cries. Peeta is probably on running on six hours of sleep. And that's if we manage to get Lilly back to sleep quickly.

I glance at the clock again, noting that fifteen more minutes have passed. I stare at the door next, almost as though I'm waiting for it to open and reveal Peeta because I wish it so. When nothing happens, I frown in disappointment.

"Your daddy must be having a bad day," I tell Lilly absently.

Five minutes of staring at the door later, I decide to go hunt him down. It's probably nothing, but I just want to make sure. I've been so paranoid lately. Coin's imminent threat is hovering forebodingly over our heads, and the few times I've seen her since Lilly's birth have not been very reassuring.

That woman can glare just as well as I can.

Quickly getting Lilly's things together, I step out into the hall. Not for the first time since her birth, I'm glad that Haymitch is only next door. I knock sharply on the door, and it opens immediately. His steely grey eyes instantly warm when they land on Lilly, and I can't resist a small smirk.

"Shut up," Haymitch mutters. "She's . . ."

"Perfect?"

"Innocent," he counters softly as he takes her into his arms. "It's a rare thing these days."

I follow him into the room, setting her things down on a small table in the corner. "Can you watch her for a while? I'm going to find Peeta."

I suppose it might seem odd to drop her off with Haymitch, especially since I probably won't be gone for more than ten minutes. Why not simply take her with me? Well, it's District 13. Everyone wants to see her, not just Command. Peeta and I don't like her being treated as a spectacle.

And I'll be the first to admit that we're just plain overprotective.

"Sure," Haymitch says, already beginning to sway in a soothing motion. "Kid not back yet?"

"No."

There must be some unease in my voice, because Haymitch meets my eyes warily. "Think there's a problem?"

"No," I admit, shaking my head. "I'm just . . . I just need to see him."

"Well, go then," Haymitch shrugs before turning his full attention to his granddaughter. "Me and Sunshine will be perfectly fine without you, won't we?"

Sunshine. That seems to be the most popular nickname for Lilly. Peeta started it that very first night, and once Haymitch heard it, he latched onto the idea immediately. I didn't mind. In fact, I thought the nickname quite proper. Lilly is a light. A warm, soothing light. Like sunshine.

"Don't cause too much trouble," I threaten before kissing Lilly's head. "Keep him in line, little girl."

"I resent that."

"I don't care."

And then I'm out the door, heading to the training center, knowing that Lilly is in safe hands. The training center itself is split into two locations. The first one, of course, is outside. Since the bombing, it's been cleaned up and is once again officially in use by the District 13 soldiers. However, the second part of the training center is the floor right above Special Defense. It reminds me of the training center in the Capitol, with different stations focusing on different aspects of fitness or prowess.

As the doors open to the training center, I step off the elevator and quickly scan the spacious room. Peeta is easy to spot, but maybe that's just me. Of course, I know for sure that it's him because Maya is lying down a few feet away, watching him as he pummels a punching bag hanging from the ceiling.

Ignoring the curious, slightly suspicious looks from the soldiers I pass, I head straight for Peeta. Maya is the first one to notice my presence, lifting her head and then smiling at me with her tongue lolling out. I merely shake my head. She's so goofy.

You might be wondering how Maya and Lilly get along. The first time we introduced them, Lilly was asleep. Maya simply edged toward the bed, curious. Then she sniffed, poked Lilly with her nose, and then plopped down at the foot of the bed like she was nothing special. Of course, we learned the next hour—when Dr. Riley came into the room and approached the bed—that Maya had taken a liking to the newest addition to the family. Frankly, I'd never heard a growl sound so menacing.

I lazily allow my fingers to tangle in her fur as she leans against my leg. Peeta has yet to acknowledge my presence. His entire focus is on the punching bag in front of him, which swings slightly with every powerful hit. I can't control the way my gaze slowly rakes over his sweaty, glistening form. His blonde curls lay heavily due to sweat, some of them plastered to his forehead while others hang in his eyes. One of the many results of his exertion, his t-shirt hugs his sweaty torso, revealing the defined muscles that I've sorely missed. Vaguely, I wonder if I'm drooling.

But, hey, what can I do? My husband is a very sexy man.

"Are you checking me out?"

Peeta's voice causes me to snap out of my thoughts, and I realize that he's stopped assaulting the punching bag. A mischievous smirk twists his lips as he crosses his arms over his chest. He raises his eyebrows, as if saying, "Well?"

I scoff and roll my eyes. "Don't flatter yourself, Mellark," I say airily. I make a point to run my eyes over his body, but keep my face indifferent. "I became immune to your . . . charms . . . a long time ago."

"Really?" Peeta asks as he takes a predatory step toward me, his eyes narrowed, but alight with playfulness. I try to ignore the way my heart jumps in my chest and the way my skin feels as though it's on fire when he pulls me to him. "Then enlighten me," he says huskily, his face hardly an inch from mine. "What do I have to do to change that?"

A shaky breath escapes me as I gaze into his blue eyes that are shining with a fire that makes me lightheaded. I've seen this intense look many times before . . . but never in such a public setting. No, when he looks at me this way, it is usually dark. We are alone. The bed is warm. And I am in heaven.

I feel a smile twist my lips at the many memories flashing through my mind. "Nothing you haven't done before," I reply in a whisper.

And then I pull out of his embrace, leaving him wide-eyed and stunned. He stares at me uncomprehendingly for a moment, before shaking his head as if to clear it. Then he pins me with a mock glare. "You're such a tease."

"You love it."

For the past few weeks, a delicious tension has been brewing between us; a tension that I remember all too well. Last time, it ended with a day in the snow. I couldn't help but wonder when our second 'perfect moment' will occur. I know it will be soon.

And I'm equally excited and terrified, which is definitely a tumultuous blend of emotion.

I know that Peeta senses the electricity that seems to cackle between us. I know that he knows what will soon happen, too. But it's all up to him. He'll have to make the move. I'm not about to push him into anything.

Besides, my inner vixen loves to tease him mercilessly.

Peeta smiles at me and pulls me to him again, capturing my lips in a kiss that is borderline indecent in such a public setting. I shove him away from me playfully, "Peeta," I chastise. "People are staring."

"Let them," he returns boldly. "I love you. They can get over it."

I smile at his declaration. I'll never tire of hearing those words.

"Why are you here?" he asks suddenly. "Where's Lilly?"

"Lilly is with Haymitch," I reply. "And I'm here because you were gone later than usual. It's probably near eleven."

Peeta frowns. "Really?"

"Yeah." I smile sheepishly. "I was kind of worried."

Guilt colors Peeta's expression. "I'm sorry," he apologizes. He stares back at the punching bag. "I just got . . . caught up in things."

"Yeah, speaking of . . ." I trail off as I notice a second punching bag lying on the floor off to the side. A tear scars the middle of the cloth and sand has poured from the wound. I take note of the broken chain, and then realize the newness of the punching bag Peeta was pummeling. I put two and two together. "What did that poor punching bag do to you?"

Peeta's eyes darken slightly, and my attempt at humor fails spectacularly. I watch as anger flickers to life in his eyes, quickly becoming an all consuming flame. "Like I said . . . I got caught up in things."

"Peeta." I allow my fingers to trail lightly down his arm before twining with his own. I squeeze his hand pleadingly. "Tell me."

He sighs heavily, though his anger causes the breath to leave him in a huff. "I was just . . . remembering things . . . and people. I just got so angry. I wanted to hurt them like they hurt me. I wanted to kill them."

"So you killed the punching bag."

"Pretty much."

"Strangely, I think this is actually healthy," I admit. "You need to vent your anger. At least this way, only inanimate objects suffer."

"For now."

I don't comment immediately. I know what he's talking about, even if he's never come right out and said it. Although we've been avoiding Command, that doesn't mean we don't know what's going on with the war. All the Districts have fallen to the Rebels, with the exception of District 2. But, according to rumor, that would soon change. After 2, the only place left to fall was the Capitol itself.

And Peeta wants to be there. He wants his revenge.

I know that I won't stop him. What that conveys about my character, I'm not sure I want to know.

"How soon do you think it'll be?" I ask. "Before 2 falls?"

"Since I heard a couple guys talk about a propo airing tonight, I think it already has," Peeta replies seriously. "Coin will want to storm the Capitol as soon as she can get a team ready and trained. I say we have three weeks before the Rebels enter the Capitol."

Three weeks. Three weeks until it might all be over.

"What are we going to do?" I glance around us, making sure no one is in hearing range. "What about Coin? It's about time you told me your plan, Peeta."

His eyes narrow, but he nods. "I know. Soon. I promise."

"Tonight."

I give him my best glare to show him that I won't take "no" for an answer.

"Tonight," he agrees.

Tonight seems to come quicker than usual. After throwing a real fuss, Lilly slept soundly in her modest bassinet. From his position stretched out in a chair, Peeta absently rocks the bassinet with his foot, just to make sure that she will stay asleep. Haymitch and Rye are in our compartment as well. Rye lays back comfortably on the bed like it is his own, lacing his fingers behind his head. Haymitch wouldn't go near our bed because "who knew what horrors had taken place" and sits in a chair on the other side of Lilly's bassinet.

I sit at the foot of the bed with Maya lying at my feet. All of us are waiting for the propo to air. Suddenly, the television flickers on and I see my mockingjay pin aflame, burning brightly. Then, the screen dissolves to show a picture of District 2.

I gasp. District 2, or at least the section being shown, is nothing more than smoking ruins. People are running about with ashen, tear-streaked faces as they flee a crumbling section of the mountain. They place itself is called "The Nut" and is a very important stronghold in District 2. It housed the heart of the Capitol's military. After the Dark Days, the Capitol was in desperate need of an underground stronghold. Since the majority of their nuclear missiles, aircraft, and weaponry rested in the enemy's hands, they had needed a new place to set up shop.

The Nut was the perfect place. From the outside, it simply looked like the mountain it was, with the exception of multiple entrances carved into the rock. But the inside was cavernous, even sporting a train-based transportation system that could deliver the workers to various parts of the districts.

And now it was collapsed in on itself.

I don't hear what's being said by the narrator. I can only focus on the people fleeing in terror. The bombs striking The Nut. Wait . . . those bombs . . . I know that strategy. More importantly I know who developed it.

Gale. This was all Gale.

I can see it now. How he blew up the entrances, trapped the people inside. But the square of District 2 looks like a huge sinkhole, and then I realize that Gale went a step further. He blew up the train tunnels, too. Gale had no interest in preserving any of the District 2 citizens in the Nut. This was one of his deathtraps.

When his face fills the screen, my ears suddenly resume their function.

Today is monumental for the Rebels. We've taken 2, and now the only thing stopping us is the Capitol. As you can see, he gestures behind him at the destruction. We are not weak! It's time for the Capitol's tyranny to end! So run and hide, Snow. Run and hide.

The image on the screen fades to black, but Gale's bold words are burning in flame against the blackness.

RUN AND HIDE.

The screen suddenly shuts off, leaving us all in silence.

Unsurprisingly, Rye is the first to speak. "Well, Katniss. You're best friend isn't too cool anymore."

No. He's not. I glance at Peeta, whose narrowed eyes are still glaring at the blank television screen. I stare at him for a moment, watching his calculative gaze sort through countless ideas in his mind. Haymitch is quiet as well, alternating glances between Peeta and the screen.

I still can't believe that Gale actually did it. How could he condemn so many lives? I wonder if it was an easy decision for him. I wonder if he backed up his reasons with logic or if he deluded himself into thinking that the move was justified because of the many, equally heartless acts of the Capitol. My chest aches at the thought that I'm losing my best friend. Or maybe it hurts so much because I truly think I've lost him already.

"When will they get back?" I ask, my voice sounding oddly detached.

Peeta and Rye remain silent, but Haymitch shrugs and says, "Probably sometime tomorrow."

Good. Because I had a few words for Gale Hawthorne.

"Well, this has been lovely, but I'm going to bed," Rye says and then promptly snuggles further into the bed and closes his eyes.

Well, that just doesn't work for me. With a slightly vindictive smile, I shove Rye off the bed, sending him tumbling and cursing to the floor. It's amazing that Lilly doesn't stir at the noise, but I notice Peeta's foot still steadily rocking the bassinet. I bet he doesn't even realize he's still doing it.

"Fine," Rye huffs dramatically. "Kick me out. Just because Peeta's Mr. Blonde, Buff, and Beautiful again doesn't mean that you can just toss me aside. I'm hurt. Did you hear that? It's the sound of my heart breaking."

"You're going to hear the sound of your neck breaking if you don't get your ass out of here," Peeta retorts seriously.

Rye frowns. "You're bluffing."

"Try me."

"Night!"

The moment the door shuts, Peeta's face breaks out in a grin. "He always falls for it."

I roll my eyes.

Haymitch gets to his feet, his back creaking as a stretches. "Getting old, Gramps," I tease.

"Don't call me that," Haymitch retorts without missing a beat. Then he turns to Peeta. "I assume you're going to tell her?"

Peeta nods, all previous lightheartedness vanishing from his face.

Haymitch takes a moment to whisper a few words to Lilly and then he leaves the compartment. Peeta and I sit in silence for a few minutes. The only sound in the room is the slight creak as Peeta continues to rock the bassinet. Finally, I can't stand it. "Peeta."

He looks up at me and sighs. Silently, he gets to his feet and then takes a seat beside me on the bed. After a moment of collecting his thoughts, he takes my hand in his and begins to play with my fingers. Then, he begins to speak. "When I used to leave in the middle of the night, I wasn't just wandering around aimlessly. I was scoping out 13. Looking for weak spots. Noting changes in the guard. Watch shifts. I was looking for anything that I could exploit. I found nothing." Peeta looks up at me, his eyes shining with begrudging admiration and fathomless frustration. "If anything, Coin knows how to cover her bases."

I understand the conclusion Peeta is leading to. "We can't kill her here in 13."

"No," Peeta agrees with a nod. He suddenly gets to his feet, running an irritated hand in his hair. "13 is completely under her control. She has the advantage."

"So we have to wait until she isn't in 13," I say, coming to the only logical conclusion.

"Exactly. And when would she feel confident enough—or arrogant enough—to leave the security of 13?"

My eyes widen. "When we take the Capitol."

Peeta nods and begins to pace. "If everything works out, we should have a chance." He frowns. He hates that most of his plan is hypothetical. "Say the Rebels take the Capitol. We win the war. Coin will want to show her power, but she'll also want to play for the people. She won't kill Snow. No, she'll make it a public event. Not only will it lead the people to believe that she's on their side, but she'll also want to see Snow realize that she won. She'll want him to watch his own downfall, and be subjected to the thousands of those that he has wronged." Peeta shakes his head, a humorless smile on his lips. "She doesn't know him like she thinks she does."

"Peeta." My voice causes him to look up and focus his attention on me once again. "Are you saying that you plan to kill her when she's giving a big speech or something? Before she kills Snow?"

"No," he shakes his head. "I plan to kill her before that."

"I'm lost. It might be crazy and start a riot if we were to kill her publicly, but wouldn't that also be a good thing? We could get away."

"We wouldn't be able to get close enough. Too many witnesses. Security would be too tight. We couldn't even get a shooter in place on a rooftop somewhere. They'll be prepared for that."

Peeta's really thought about this, I realize. He's thought of every possibility and all its faults. I admit that this conversation is incredibly uncomfortable for me. Because despite the fact that I know Coin would happily see me dead, Peeta too, to talk so seriously about murdering her seems crazy. And wrong.

But if I die, then Lilly is without a mother. I absolutely refuse to let that happen.

And so I'm plotting an assassination.

"So when?" I ask emotionlessly.

"Her security won't allow her to stay in Snow's mansion immediately," Peeta explains. "Not until it's been cleared and that will take days. Haymitch and I believe she'll stay close though, and from our memory, the best, most secure place for her to stay is a group of high-end apartments about five minutes away."

"You plan to get her as she's going to the mansion," I realize and Peeta nods.

"She'll have two guards at most with her in the car. Three if you count the driver. Now, she'll also want us to ride with her. Haymitch, too. That way she can keep an eye on us."

"What about Plutarch?" I ask. "Wouldn't he be with her?"

"I don't think so," he shakes his head. "Coin will want someone overseeing everything at the mansion. Plutarch will be there."

"Okay, so we kill her in the car?" I frown. "What about the driver?"

Peeta smiles. "The driver will be Rye or Finnick. They just don't know it yet. Basically, they will drive the wrong way. There's a decent sized alley halfway there that's relatively well hidden from the street. We pull into the alley. Haymitch and I overpower the two guards in the car. Then all that's left is Coin."

I sit on the bed in silence as the full reality of Peeta's plan washes over me. It could work. It could work really well. When the witnesses inevitably came by, we could easily play up being attacked if we staged the scene right. The blame could rest with some rogue Peacekeepers that managed to escape notice. It could easily seem like a tragedy. However, I still had one question.

"How are we going to get to the Capitol? To set this up, we would have to be there before her."

"And we will be," Peeta replies. "After all, who better to lead the charge on the Capitol than the Mockingjays themselves?"

In that moment, I decide that my husband is a genius.

A deadly one.


Oh Peeta . . . honey, I love you.

So! It's crazy to say this, but we're actually nearing the end of this story! I know! There are four more chapters plus the epilogue. Only five more updates . . .

Sad day, guys.

But we mustn't get too down! There's still plenty to happen in this story! Prepare yourselves for a bumpy, action-packed sprint to the finish.

Summary time; Peeta has once again brought sexy back, and he can most definitely make up for what I lack; Katniss has now been promoted as the spokesperson for Teen Mom; Rye needs a nap; Lilly is precious; Haymitch has gone insane from sobriety; Gale made things go BOOM; and Hurricane Coin is about to crash into town . . .

Quote from the next chapter comes from . . . Gale!

"I didn't do a damn thing the Capitol hasn't done before!"

Lots of love,

AC