A/N: Thanks for reading that last chapter! I hope you enjoy this one!
Disclaimer: I am not Suzanne Collins so I do not own these characters, direct quotes, or practically anything.
Peeta's POV - Waking Up
How dare someone stab my Katniss! I thought as I paced throughout the train on the way back to district 12. She looks to be okay, but what if... No! I cannot think of that!
"Peeta..." My Katniss whispered and I ran towards the television and touched her face.
"I'm here, love. I'm here." I told her, wishing I could reach her and protect her from the world.
Katniss started to move from the spot and walked slowly, supporting her cut, as she walked back to the dead girl from eight; Susan Depp. Katniss started to look through each pocket of the game bag, looking desperately for something. Her face looked shocked as she found what she was looking for and she started to lift her shirt up to where her hand was.
Momentarily, I marveled at how fit she was how she had muscles and you could see her rock hard abs. I sighed, wanting to see more of her. Wanting to be there with her to tell it would be okay and she would be safe with me. I wanted to see her happiness that lightened her face when she looked at me. I wanted to feel her hand in mine, I wanted her to sleep on my chest, and I just wanted her.
Katniss lifted her hand off of her wound and then quickly secured the bandage over her deep looking cut. I frowned.
"Oh, Katniss," I whispered tracing where the cut disappeared under the bandage and then her shirt.
Katniss got up off the ground and moved every direction, making sure the gauze didn't come off. Then, my love smiled a gorgeous real smile. She took the game bag off of the deceased girl and started running again. I let myself relax slightly, she is okay now. For one purpose at least, she still needed a good sleep and a meal.
The train doors opened, bringing me back to reality and back to district 12. I sighed moving out of the train and practically running towards the square where there was a projection screen showing Katniss running again. I smiled and took a seat, faintly recognizing my mother and brothers hugging me and Haymitch settling himself beside me.
"Would you like to send her bread?" Haymitch asked me; not turning away from the screen I replied.
"Yes, I think she needs more food than some crackers."
I saw out of the corner of my eye, Haymitch nodded and left for a few seconds before returning with a loaf of bread from my bakery, a parachute, and a blank note. Haymitch handed me the note and a pencil. I smiled at him; thankfully. I thought for a second about what to write before realizing.
I scribbled down 'Get some sleep. I love you. - Peeta." I smiled at the note and handed it back to Haymitch as he placed the loaf of bread into parachute and walked over to the guard that sent them into the arena.
As Katniss stopped running to catch her breath behind a tree, my parachute descended its way down towards her. She grabbed the parachute and bent down so she was more camouflaged.
Glancing around herself, she allowed herself to open the package. She grabbed my note and read it and glanced at the bread before smiling slightly, turning towards the sky to thank me, and whispered 'I love you.".
I could hear the square coon an "Aww," as they looked back at me and I smiled before whispering 'I love you,' back to her. Katniss allowed herself one slice of bread as before she started running again.
After a few more hours of running and then resting, Katniss hid behind a tree as the camera shifted and we saw the eighteen year old blonde Andrew, from 6, with the girl, Lisa from 6, and also a male from 11 that looked exactly like Thresh.
"Katniss Everdeen! We are coming to get you!" Andrew yelled. Katniss hid behind a tree and loaded her bow and arrow as she rolled her beautiful eyes.
"Why is she so sure of herself?" A woman asked in the crowd. "Arrogant brat." She whispered under her breathe. I turned to the woman.
"She knows that they are just setting themselves up to be killed." I defended Katniss.
"Bitch..." A male voice said from behind me and I recognized that voice. I turned around to see Gale Hawthorne walking towards me and sitting down beside me on the blanket.
I sat there awkwardly on one side of me was my family, Haymitch, Cinna, Venia, and Octavia while on the other was Gale. However, he didn't try and talk to meet yet, at least, because a battle had out broken in the Games.
The camera went off of Katniss as Finnick, Cecilia, and Johanna ran down the hill at Andrew, Lisa, and the Thresh person. I stood as I tried to see Katniss in the screen, wanting to know for sure that she was okay, I saw her in one camera in the top left corner; she started to run away but turned back around when Cecilia screamed after being cut by Andrew.
Katniss tore down the hill at Andrew and shot him with an arrow as she stepped in front of Cecilia; to protect her.
"It's her! She is here!" Lisa screamed as she tried to fight off Johanna.
After Andrew pulled out the arrow from his chest, he and the Thresh man circled my Katniss.
"Katniss, no!" I yelled up at the screen as someone placed a hand on my shoulder, but I didn't turn to see who it was.
Katniss glanced at both men and as they started to close in, she performed a beautiful round-housed kick to look-a-like-Thresh and in the same swing punch Andrew in the stomach; where she shot him. "Thresh" threw an arm at her and she dodged it then kicked him in the stomach as well.
Andrew and "Thresh" both looked at each other and Lisa then they all ran away; Lisa not getting away as she fell, a cannon fired. Katniss then loaded an arrow again, still trying to protect Cecilia and not realizing it was Johanna and Finnick, I guessed as Finnick ran right up to her.
"Katniss, we are supposed to be alliances remember?" Finnick asked and Katniss started to smile but then her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell to the jungle floor; unconscious. Cecilia screamed again.
Finnick seemed shocked but he acted quickly.
"Johanna, let's get back to camp; Katniss fainted." He told Johanna who looked up from stealing from Lisa's game bag. Johanna nodded and started walking back up the hill without looking at Cecilia, Katniss, or helping Finnick.
"Shhh, Cecilia, she is not dead. Look, she is still breathing." Finnick hushed Cecilia; who was panting, holding out Katniss to show her chest moving up and down. "Now, calm down because I need you to help me carry some stuff."
Finnick told Cecilia to grab his game bag, trident, and Katniss's bow and arrows. Then, they made their way up the hill to a small shelter covered in leaves and wood near a lake. Finnick crawled into the hut and gently placed Katniss onto a make-shift bed that was made out of wood tied together by ropes.
Cecilia placed the bows near Katniss's head and placed damp cloth on her forehead. Katniss rustled slightly and Finnick held her in a fetal position with his arms and Katniss started to wake up.
"Peeta?" Katniss tried asking, but my name came out hoarse and mumbled, before she could even open her eyes all the way, however, she fell asleep in Finnick's arms and he laid her down on the bed again. I smiled thanking Finnick and Cecilia.
Haymitch and I glanced at each other wordlessly, nodded, and as Haymitch grabbed another loaf of bread, lots of fruit, and four water bottles from my family's bakery we both wrote a note to the saviors.
I wrote, "Thank you, Cecilia and Finnick, for taking care of Katniss. Please, let her sleep. – Peeta."
Haymitch wrote, "When she wakes up make sure you tell her this is from us and that she needs to get her head in the game and her heart out of it. – H"
My glaring didn't change what he wrote and he grumbled some curse words at me as we packed all the goodies inside and watched it fly into the arena. Finnick opened it and read both of the notes then looked at all the food we gave them.
"Thank you, Peeta and H." Finnick said to the sky.
"What did they give us?" Johanna asked walking over to Finnick; I don't trust her.
"Look what it says, 'Thank you, Cecilia and Finnick, for taking care of Katniss. Please let her sleep. – Peeta'!" Cecilia started jumping up and down in excitement. "Peeta signed it!"
Finnick rolled his eyes at her, but had a smile on his face, "Who do you think 'H' is?" He asked Johanna.
She rolled her eyes in a rude manner, "Haymitch Abernathy; the only living tribute from District 12 up until last year's Hunger Games. He won the second Quarter Quell at age sixteen."
"All I need was a name," Finnick replied with another playful eye roll, "I knew the rest." He ate a piece of fruit.
After that statement a large hand was placed on my shoulder and, thinking it was Haymitch, I turned but was surprised to see that Gale had a hand on my shoulder with a sad smile.
"We need to talk." He whispered, motioning with his head for me to walk with him. I look back from him and the screen, wanting to watch Katniss.
"I'll keep watch." Haymitch told me, grabbing another drink. I nodded thankfully and followed Gale into the town.
After a few minutes of walking in silence, Gale turned to me.
"We have a problem." Gale told me.
"I know." I responded, knowing exactly what he meant.
"We are both in love with the same woman." Gale explained, even though I knew what he was going to say.
I looked up at him about to go into a long speech about how Katniss choice me; obviously, she was wearing my ring, well not at this moment but she was engaged to me.
"I know, she has chosen you," Gale cut me off; "I just wanted to talk to you about her."
"Okay." I replied.
"Look," Gale shifted awkwardly and drove his hands into his pockets, "I just… I wanted to make sure that you are not going to hurt her. I want her to be happy, more than I want her to be my wife…" Gale trailed off.
I couldn't deny that last comment upset me, "Gale, I understand your concern, but I will never hurt her. I would kill myself before the thought even came to my mind. Katniss is my world. I would never ever hurt her." I tried to express my love for her without getting him mad.
Gale nodded looking at me, "I know, you are way too good of a person to actually hurt someone. She talked about you like you were some prince. Now, I see why." Gale shook his head laughing slightly.
I nodded, "Thank you."
"Look, I know you are too good but let me just threaten you just in case," Gale started, "If you ever hurt her I will hunt you down and kill you slowly. Making you wish that you never lived." Gale ended his threat by poking me in the chest.
"Message received." I replied before Gale shook my hand, turned away, and started walking away without another word.
I watched his back as he walked away, Gale might not see himself as but I saw him as a protective, moral, noble man that just wanted the good of the people; in particular, Katniss. I respected him for that but that didn't mean I would let him have my fiancée.
I turned from my spot and walked back to the blanket where Haymitch and the others were.
"Anything wrong, boy?" Haymitch slurred looking at me.
"No. Has anything happened with Katniss?" I asked, looking back at the screen and sitting beside Haymitch.
"Who? Sweetheart? No, she is still sleeping." Haymitch pointed at the screen, to a corner where Katniss was still sleeping soundlessly. I smiled at her, knowing I would love her forever.
Katniss's POV
Yawning and stretching, I woke nosily out of my slumber. I rolled onto my back and searched for Peeta with my hand, when I didn't find him and only found hard bars under me connected with ropes. I jolted up, remembering I was still in the Games.
Taking in my surroundings, I was completely confused, I was in a small green hut that built together by large green leaves, wood, and more ropes. The entrance was two more large green leaves that were tied to the 'door'.
I looked around the hut and found my bow and arrows and bag. I threw all of that over my shoulders and walked quietly out of the little green house.
"Well it is about time." Cecilia's voice came from a log that was made to look like a bench and she ran forward and hugged me around the waist.
"That's for sure; a few times I thought the cannon forgot you." Finnick told me as he bit into a piece of an apple. "Come here."
He motioned me over and Cecilia pushed me down onto a log in front of where Finnick was kneeling and Finnick started to bandage up my where my leg and arms were cut. I looked around and saw that there was a lake beside the camp along with a pile of fruit, bread, and water.
"How many are dead now?" I asked, clearing my throat as it came out raspy and hoarse.
"I counted twelve." Finnick replied, securing the gauze around my forearm.
"So there are twelve left." Cecilia said almost cheerfully.
"Who died when I was asleep?" I questioned, knowing there was only eleven dead when I fainted. "How long was I out?"
"Lisa, the girl from six," Finnick started, "and you were out for about ten hours, how long where you awake?" Finnick asked, shocked.
"Three days." I muttered guilty.
"These came for us from your mentors!" Cecilia gave me two notes; one from Haymitch and one from Peeta.
'Thank you, Cecilia and Finnick, for taking care of Katniss. Please, let her sleep – Peeta.' Peeta's said and Haymitch wrote, "When she wakes up make sure you tell her this is from us and that she needs to get her head in the game and her heart out of it. – H".
I rolled my eyes at Haymitch's note, knowing he was talking about when Cecilia screamed and I automatically came to her aid.
"They sent all of this!" Cecilia showed me the fruit, water, and bread. She handed me a water bottle and some bread.
I drank some water before answering, "Have you tried the bread?"
"Yes, it is delicious!" Cecilia replied, jumping up and down some, and nodding.
"Peeta makes it." I told her nodding and smiling, her excitement was contagious.
"No kidding, well he has a gift." Finnick smiled a breathtaking smile up at me as he worked on my knee. I winced when he pulled harder. "Sorry."
"That's alright. Is it just us three?" I asked, trying to take my mind off the pain.
"No, you have to deal with me too." A wickedly familiar voice announced.
"Always a pleasure to see you, Johanna," I told her.
"Don't strain yourself we wouldn't want to kill you already." Johanna smiled venomously and walked away.
"So, I see you two are friends." Finnick looked between us then back to my hand.
"Best of friends," I replied completely sarcastic.
"Well that is a great sign!" Cecilia said excitedly, apparently she didn't know what sarcasm was. I looked back at her and then to Finnick.
"She is not the brightest." He whispered, wrapping gauze around my thumb. "These cuts are bad, Katniss, you should have put a bandage on them instead of your ribs." He told me at normal volume now.
"I didn't want to waste my bandages because I knew I would need them later." I muttered.
"Where did you get them?" Finnick asked.
"From trees, don't touch the trees." I warned them.
"Why not?" Cecilia asked, curious.
"They are sharp and pointy." I told her. "You can thank me for that, I bet you anything that the President told them to do whatever they could not to get me in trees." I rolled my eyes annoyed.
"Why did he do that?" Cecilia asked, coming to rub my shoulders, and I flinched away because it was the Games. Then, I relaxed.
"Sorry, my head is in the Games," I said, slightly for Haymitch, "Cecilia, you have to understand that he sent me in here to die, not to win again."
"If the President wants you dead, I can help him." Johanna came out of the hut with her knifes. Before I could respond, Finnick sent me a death glare.
"Johanna, stop. We are a team now and –"He started.
"Team? You mean me working with her?" I cut him off shaking my head, "Not likely."
"Johanna, promise not to hurt her. We need Katniss here to help us win." Finnick asked desperately. All protest from Johanna were silenced.
"Fine, but that doesn't mean I won't have fun." Johanna smiled wickedly at me then went to the lake.
"So, what do you say, alliances again?" Finnick asked giving me a pleading smile.
I glanced at Johanna, "I don't know are you trying to secretly kill me?" I asked her.
"Please, that wasn't me that was Andrew and the 11 guy that never talks." Johanna replied.
"Alright then," I turned back to Finnick, "Yes. We are alliances again."
Cecilia jumped for joy and hugged me around the neck screaming quietly, "Yay!"
I fought of the urge to throw her off as Finnick and I shook hands.
"Alliances." He nodded and I nodded back.
A/N: Thanks for reading! So how did you like it? Tell me please! I love you all!