Author's Note: Woooo! Thanks SO much for all the kind reviews! They've inspired me so much more than I can even begin to describe. I'm sorry for the delayed update, it's the end of the school year and of course, I'm tied down with finals and study sessions. But I managed to eek this chapter out, so please tell me what you think. Reviews bring me joy, and so does constructive criticism!
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A deep, resonating cannon boom causes me to jerk awake. In an initial state of panic, I count all of the sleeping Careers, glad to find that each one's still breathing. Clove's still snoring like a buzz saw, Marvel is sprawled out on top of his sleeping bag and Glimmer is sleeping on his arm. I walk around to the other side of the tree trunk. Cato, too is snoring rather loudly, goosebumps covering his arms from the nipping cold. It's probably selfish of me to keep wearing his jacket, especially when he clearly needs it. I reluctantly peel the sweet-smelling fabric off of my shoulders and drape it over his chest, watching as he shudders in pleasure at its warmth. At this very moment, I'd never guess he was a cold-blooded killer. Right now, I see an eighteen-year old boy, victimized by a dark past, just trying to end it the only way he knows how. His face is pale and clear, and his eyelids are softly shut, almost giving him an angelic look. The only thing keeping him from looking so pure and innocent is that guttural snoring, which I swear he and Clove are competing to overpower each other with. A sick feeling begins to fester in the pit of my stomach...Katniss. Could that cannon that woke me up have been fired for her? I sit back weakly against the tree. Unless I find her myself today, I'm not going to know anything until the Capitol projects the names in the sky tonight, which seems like too long to wait. Awake in solitude, I glance over the sleeping Careers, beginning to think about all the things I haven't had time to. Gale. I wonder what he's feeling right now, being required to watch his girlfriend's life be risked and manipulated to entertain the aristocrats. I can't even fathom how much he must hate me. After all, I did profess that I had a crush on her to the entire country, and his name was mentioned nowhere in the broadcast. I would be pissed at me too if I were him, but I'm really beginning to reassess my feelings for Katniss. I've always thought she was beautiful and comely, but I've hardly desired to kiss her lips. She's so strong, yet so meek at the same time. Almost untouchable. Does this mean it isn't love, if just her presence satisfies me? All I've wanted is to be noticed, for her to admire my strength like I admire hers. But I guess it's best that she's admiring Gale's, because frankly, I don't have any.

Glimmer rises up from her sleep, peering quietly around as discreetly as possible. I have to admit, it's the smartest move I've seen her make yet. But then her emerald eyes fix on me, and I immediately wish there was some way I could be invisible right now.

"Pee-ta!" she coos, slowly crawling away from Marvel.

"Good morning, Glimmer." I reply, trying to be polite. As much as I despise her, I've got to stay on her good side while she's still capable of ending my life.

She stretches out in such a way that her chest protrudes forward. "Did you dream about anything special?"

I sigh. "No."

"I did," she begins, the flirtatiously sickening smile creeping onto her face. "You, Marvel and Cato were all there...and, well, I probably shouldn't tell the cameras the rest."

I count my blessings as Clove finally stops snoring and begins to wake, stretching in a normal and non-seductive way. Her conscious presence will tone Glimmer down.

"Good morning, Clove." Glimmer says, the sugary tone in her voice suddenly running sour.

Clove yawns. "Boy, I slept really hard."

"You definitely did." Glimmer crosses her arms. "You kept us up a long time with your snoring."

Clove's eyes narrow. "I wasn't the only one, bitch. Cato was snoring too."

Glimmer stays silent, realizing but not admitting that Clove was correct.

"Aw, what the hell..." Marvel groans, rubbing his eyes. "You guys are so loud."

"Marvel!" Glimmer exclaims, patting him on the back. "How did you sleep?"

Clove rolls her eyes at Glimmer's flirting, but seems to participate in whatever conversation that she's having with Marvel. Meanwhile, I contemplate a way to wake Cato. I don't want to disturb him, but in order to keep him protected, I can't leave him to wake up on his own. But here he is, spread eagle and completely vulnerable. Obviously, quietly whispering his name won't wake him. I hesitantly nudge his arm, but he still isn't budging. I grasp his bicep firmly and shake it. I can't help but notice how toned he is again, and how peculiarly good it felt when he lay atop me after we wrestled in the Training Pavilion. It amuses me how desperate I must be, I'm sure if a dog licked my lips I'd feel just as satisfied as if I've been kissed. Finally, Cato jerks awake, the started state of his eyes very evident. But in a matter of seconds, he finally reads and identifies my face.

"Damnit, Peeta, I thought you were trying to kill me." he chuckles, stretching his arms through the sleeves of his coat.

"Good morning to you too." I say, smiling. I wish the Games didn't pit us against each other, because with the exception of Glimmer, I'm sure this is what camping with a group of friends would be like.

"Is anyone hungry?" Marvel asks, picking up his backpack. "We're gonna need to go hunting later, but there are some little snacks in here we can have for now."

"I'm famished." says Cato. "What do we have?"

We sit in a circle around Marvel's backpack as he pours the contents onto his sleeping bag. A decent sized bag of dehydrated fruit, four strips of dried beef and a handful of nuts. Ten hands hungrily grab at the food, each of us cramming morsels down our throats. My stomach is nowhere near satisfied, but the food has already disappeared.

"Well, now what?" Glimmer asks.

"I guess we'll have to go hunting." I say, getting up. "And we should probably go now, we're not getting any fuller."

Cato stands up, but the other three Tributes stay seated, glaring disdainfully at us. "You heard him, damnit! Move it!." he shouts.

I'm surprised at how obedient the Careers are to him, groaning lazily before standing up. We quickly roll up our sleeping bags and slide them into our backpacks, then gather our weapons. Glimmer slings her quiver sloppily over her shoulder. Clove slips the handles of her knives through her belt buckles. Marvel is firmly grasping his spear, which is rusted with the District Six girl's blood. Cato is swinging his large sword around enthusiastically, and I hold my humble dagger at my side. I'm not at all eager to shed any blood today, even if it just belongs to game.

We walk stealthily through the trees, trying to scope out anything we can shoot and eat. The mockingjays sing above us, their four-note tune taunting us, as we can't see them through the thick treetops. The smell of the deciduous forest is much more soothing than the smell of blood, so I inhale the pure air and enjoy it while it lasts. A rustling in a nearby bush perks our senses as we bear our weapons, ready to pounce upon whatever is there. We stay silent for a minute, waiting for the source to manifest. A young boy jumps out of the bush and begins to flee, but Clove leaps after him, tackles him to the ground and holds a knife to his throat. My heart begins to pound in fear of having to watch another blood spill.

"Let me go! Please!" he begs, the fear in his face almost as intense as that of the District Six girl.

"And why should I?" Clove teases, her blade lightly caressing his neck.

The boy struggled underneath Clove. The poor kid's mind has to be racing, searching for something, anything, that he could say to earn even a tidbit of mercy.

"I can help you! With whatever you need! I promise! I can... reactivate the mines!"

Clove sits upright, her knees still pinning down his legs. "Reactivate the mines?"

"Y-Yes! Yes!" Relief washes over his face as he tries to propose whatever he can. "I heard you guys say you were hunting... I'm from District Three. I can store your findings at the Cornucopia."

Clove turns toward us. "He seems legit. Should we keep him, Cato?"

Cato walks over to the two and squats down in front of them. "How quickly can you do it?"

"I-I can have it done by tonight." The boy stammers. Cato pauses, considering his offer. He's so cocky and imperial to other people. I'm just glad I'm on his good side.

"Well, I guess we'll let you off to do it. But if anything goes wrong, you're fucked."

The boy gulps heavily as Clove stands up to free him. He nods, smiles shyly, then bolts through the bushes toward the Cornucopia.

"I'd really hate to kill someone that young," Clove says, withdrawing her knife. "But this isn't a team sport."

Silence falls over us, leaving us to stare at our feet. She's definitely correct, but no one wants to acknowledge it. We're faced with the inevitable truth that alliances won't last long in the arena. But somehow, we're all playing up this illusion that it will.

"Well, let's keep going." Marvel says, nipping any remaining words about the matter in the bud.

We all join him as he leads us through heaps of greenery, armed and alert. We've probably walked about three miles before we see it - a plump, brown rabbit just sitting in plain sight. How unlucky the poor creature is, not even aware that a group of starving, drooling hunters are eyeing him like prey.

"Marvel," whispers Cato. "Give me your spear."

Marvel obeys and steps back, allowing Cato to focus his target. He's just about the throw the spear when Glimmer bounces in front of him.

"You're not gonna kill him, are you?" She says sadly.

Cato motions for her to move. "Move it, of course I am."

Glimmer stands still and pouts. "But he's so cute! Oh, how could you?"

"Move, damnit!" hisses Cato. Finally, she complies, but when she steps back, her foot snaps a twig. The rabbit bolts upright and bounds away. We all sigh in frustration. Cato is fuming, staring at the ground.

"...Damn you." he growls quietly.

In another awkward and heavy period of quiet, it finally occurs to me why Glimmer is still alive. None of us like her, or even want her around, but killing her would break the alliance. If one of us actually were to exterminate her, we'd all doubt each other's loyalty. Then, we'd be forced to face the fact that only one victor comes out of this.

"Is anyone thirsty?" asks Clove.

We all nod in response. At the mention of water, I realize my lips are cracking from dehydration. I feel much like the fruit I just ate.

"The lake is this way." She motions toward a clearing in the woods. "We'll get there in a few minutes if we hurry."

She leads the way as we run, fast as possible to the body of water. Glimmer is lagging considerably behind, occasionally yelling for us to wait for her. Nobody does though. As much as I hate to admit it, it'd be ideal if we were to just lose her that way instead. Unfortunately, my stamina's decreasing too. I can barely breathe. Unlike the rest of the Careers, I wasn't trained for the Games in my district. Cato runs alongside me.

"Come on Loverboy," he pants, forcefully taking my hand and smirking. "Let's haul some ass."

I can barely eek out a thanks before we're barreling ahead at a much faster pace, making it even harder to catch a breath. That's when it occurs to me: My hand's being held right now. I haven't felt the skin of someone else's fingers against mine since Katniss' in the chariot. I hate to admit it, but I wish her hands felt more like Cato's. Her grip was weak and unwilling, her skin chapped and flaky. His is firm and confident, and his skin is supple. I smile, because for the first time in ages, I feel cared for.

When the clear, sparkling water comes into sight, Clove stops abruptly ahead of us.

"Shhh..." she whispers, holding her finger to her lips. "Look."

My heart drops to my stomach. Her head is tilted back, and her face is flushed. I can see under the clear ripples of the water, her pants are singed and ripped. The skin on her thigh is red-hot and blistering. While I'm glad that Katniss is here, alive, a chill runs up my spine as I remember the Careers have no pity as to what she must have been through. I look at Cato's face. I become anxious, because he reassured me that he wouldn't kill her for my sake. Yet he didn't say he wouldn't let anyone else do the job. I squeeze his hand, needing the support of a friend no matter how sissy it looks. I'm thankful that unlike Katniss, he doesn't pull away. I could hardly stomach watching the District Six girl's end, but to watch Katniss die would surely traumatize me.

"I got her! I got her!" Glimmer yells, her bow positioned at Katniss. Much like the rabbit, she's saved by Glimmer's boisterousness, immediately noticing us, climbing onto a rock and sprinting away. In hot pursuit, we run after her until she begins to climb a tall tree. We watch as she hoists herself up each branch, despite her injuries.

"Hey bitch, we got you now!" Glimmer shouts, positioning her bow.

Marvel pushes her aside. "Won't you shut up, she's mine!"

Katniss just stares down at us, uncertainty on her face. She must hate me beyond comprehension, seeing that I'm hunting with the main enemy, holding the hand of the superior.

But his hand lets go of mine. "I've got her, you guys move it." He pushes his way to the trunk of the tree and begins scaling it with his sword.

"Go Cato!" cheers Glimmer.

What is he doing? My heart is pounding so loud, I'm sure even Katniss can hear it. I feel like vomiting. I can't watch her or Cato die. But in the height of my distress, Cato falls from the tree, landing on his side. But before I have time to ask if he's alright, he stands and brushes himself off. A smile that crosses his lips for a single second tells me that he's keeping his word. Glimmer shoots an arrow towards Katniss, but it misses her so easily that even Katniss lets out a chuckle at her incompetence.

"Damn it, why won't she die already?" Glimmer whines.

"Probably because you can't shoot." Cato jokes.

Glimmer launches another arrow, lodging it into the trunk of the tree. A little closer, but nowhere near threatening. The Careers laugh condescendingly.

"Let's just leave her here for now," I say. "She can't stay up there forever. We can camp out here tonight or something."

I'm surprised that everyone agrees, nodding and withdrawing their weapons. We return to the lake, fill up our canteens, drink them to the last drop and repeat the process. I can see the golden gleam of the Cornucopia through a clearing in the trees. I guess it reminds me of how hungry I am, because my stomach begins to growl just thinking about the possibility of having supplies there. Suddenly, Clove stands up without a word, and tosses one of her knives. Our heads turn to see the brown rabbit with a blade through its stomach.

"Stock it, or eat it?" Clove asks, retrieving her prize.

"We should eat it." I respond almost immediately. "I think we're all pretty hungry."

Cato builds a fire with a few pieces of brush and some matches in his backpack. Marvel prepares the rabbit, and Clove and Glimmer giggle and gossip. I'm sitting on a log, carving little pictures in the wood with my knife. I can't help but wonder how much suffering the other Tributes are enduring right now. As a rule, the Careers have the step ahead, and we're barely surviving. I wonder how Katniss got all those burns, and if any sponsor has come to her aid. I really hope Haymitch is sober, because it'd be cruel of him to just watch the Games as entertainment while lounging in a drunken haze. Sadly, it really doesn't seem too out of his character.

"Peeta! Come eat!" yells Clove, motioning me towards the fire. The smell of meat suddenly becomes pungent and alluring, causing my mouth to water. When she gives me my portion, I eat it like a savage beast, gnawing and drooling simultaneously as I literally choke it down. Effie must be beyond agitated having to watch this back at the Capitol. But everyone else is eating this way, even Glimmer, who seemed most Capitol-oriented out of all of us. Marvel looks like he's having a passionate moment with his meat, licking it and rolling his eyes back at every stroke of his tongue. I can't help but laugh, and soon the other Careers join me. I let myself enjoy the moment, because it could very well be our last meal together. After we've finished our food and satisfied our stomachs, we decide to continue hunting for the remainder of the day. It's probably best to stock up on food and water, because who knows what the Gamemakers will throw our way over the next few days. We move in the direction opposite of the Cornucopia, further into the heart of the arena. The sky begins to turn that haunting orange color, which makes my mind fabricate the smell of blood. I shudder and keep walking, trying to avert my thoughts away from death. But a searing, sharp pain that slices through my calf won't let me think about anything else.

Before I know it, I'm on the ground, yelping in pain. Cato and Glimmer are bent down beside me, inspecting the damage. Clove and Marvel are standing behind them, discussing a remedy. Glimmer touches my leg lightly. I wince.

"Poor Peeta!" she cries. "You're caught in a snare!"

I look down. Yep, my ankle's bloodied and torn by a snare with jagged, metal teeth. The sight of it makes me feel woozy. Glimmer moves her hand to the site of the injury, but thankfully, Cato stops her.

"Stop! You're making it worse!" he barks.

Glimmer sits back submissively. "Does it hurt a lot?" she asks me.

I open my mouth to answer politely, but Cato interrupts. "Of course it hurts, he wouldn't have been squealing in pain if it didn't!"

My thoughts exactly. Glimmer stays silent, letting Cato inspect my wound closer. He doesn't touch it, but my skin is burning furiously at the nerve, pain throbbing through out my entire leg.

"Everyone, go try to find some medicinal herbs or something. I'm gonna get him out of this thing."

The other three obey his orders, running further in the direction we were originally headed. The sound of their footsteps begins to fade, and soon it's just Cato and I.

"I had to get that stupid bitch out of here." he says, inspecting the snare.

I lay on my side, straightening out my ankle. "Yeah, she's kind of an impediment."

Cato sighs. "I'm going to have to pull this thing off your foot, and it's probably going to hurt."

I brace myself. "Alright."

A raw, stinging sensation encompasses my foot as he pries the snare off.

"There, you're free." he says, tossing the atrocious weapon at a tree trunk. But before I can thank him, an odd beeping noise fills the air as a silver parachute floats down to my hands. I unwrap it quickly and find a tube of antiseptic ointment. A note is attached:

"Stay alive, Loverboy"

It's signed with an H. No doubt, this was a gift from Haymitch. I smile. Maybe he wasn't in some stupor while the Games passed him by.

"Can you walk?" Cato asks, looking up at the sky. The sped-up day is morphing quickly into nightfall.

"I'll put this stuff on, then I'll try." I say, applying the cream. It stings on the site, but it's a good sting, killing all the bacteria that could have grown into something really troublesome. I wobble to my feet and manage somewhat of a limp. Cato grabs my hand again, smirking.

"I think you'll need some help."

"Thanks." I smile.

I'm really grateful for him, to say the least. Without him, I really would be alone in the arena. Perhaps the only thing I like about this place is that there are really no social boundaries. We act on impulse, on the instinct of survival and nobody can tell us otherwise. On a normal day in Twelve, the sight of two males hand in hand would be damned and judged by everyone, regardless of the circumstance. But here in the Games, I don't think anyone cares. No one expects us to act prim and proper, because manners fall to the wayside in times of desperation. We hobble slowly through the woods, until the other three Careers meet us. It's almost like they knew exactly where to wander.

"Oh good, you're walking." says Marvel. "We got some more food."

"We're not going to the Cornucopia tonight." Cato commands.

A choleric expression finds its way to Marvel's face. "Why not?"

"It's already night, and Loverboy can't even walk straight. Besides, we still might be able to catch Katniss at that tree."

"Fine. Then let's head back."

We walk at a decent pace back to the tree, Cato still grasping my hand. I feel the same surge of pride I felt in my chariot, holding the hand of the strongest Tribute in the Games with all of Panem as a witness. It feels a little better than holding the hand of someone else's girlfriend, even if I probably won't make it out of here to face Gale at home. The trek back to camp wasn't as far as I'd expected, but I'm relieved when I can sit down. Immediately, fatigue clouds my entire body. Cato commands the sleeping shifts once more, this time giving Clove and Glimmer the first. I'm beyond eager to roll out my sleeping bag and fall immediately into a deep slumber, regardless of the dulling pain in my foot. The Gamemakers might have ended the day, and my body might be worn, but my mind is still racing.

Suddenly, I find myself in a small room. It's familiar, but I can't pin down where exactly it is. The floor is made out of loose wood planks, and the walls are made out of closed eyelids. It's completely empty with the exception of two bodies, sitting in two of the four corners. It's so dark, I can't distinguish exactly who they are. One of them rises and stands, but I still can't see who it is. The shadowy body walks slowly toward me, but I'm not afraid at all. In fact, I feel so keenly curious that I walk forward to meet it.

"I won't let you die." it says, light beginning to emit from the ceiling. My eyes squint, trying to identify a face. A smirk. Cold blue eyes.

Cato.

His hand runs through my hair, and the breath I feel on my forehead tells me how close he is to me. The other body in the corner of the room becomes a bit more lucid as well. Lifelessly coiled up in the shadows, dark brown hair cascades over her body. It's definitely Katniss. Is she dead? I'm not sure, and I don't have time to contemplate before my lips meet Cato's. It's so emotionless, almost like kissing a family member in parting. But it's a lot more drawn-out than that. Suddenly, the eyes that cover the walls all open at the same time, somehow allowing a blinding light to pierce the shadows. I can't see a thing. I fall to my knees and shut my eyes, flecks of color flashing across my eyelids from the sudden brightness. "Stay alive, Loverboy." The phrase repeats again and again.

I jolt awake. It seems like only a few minutes ago that I'd shut my eyes, but now the sounds of morning are surrounding me. Something doesn't feel right. Maybe it's the mockingjays, sounding like hundreds of little alarms going off. Maybe it's Marvel, who is nodding off on his shift. Maybe it's the white fog that hangs so close to the ground, not allowing me to see anything in the tree above. Katniss could have escaped for all I know. Maybe it's my swollen foot, which is beginning to feel more limber. Or maybe it's that peculiar dream I had. Did I really kiss Cato? I pause for a minute, watching the boy sleep. I remember it so vividly ... His hands running through my hair, promising to keep me alive. For that one moment, I didn't feel afraid of uncertainty. I didn't feel alone. I didn't really feel anything at the moment, but now I'm confused. I've never been attracted to a man romantically, but it doesn't enrage me like everyone else in Twelve. I remember when I was in grade school, a few Peacekeepers whipped a man to death because of his attraction to another man. I remember pitying the guy, because it didn't seem like anything to be punished for. Does this mean I have feelings for Cato, or could I chalk it up to just being a weird dream?

But now I understand what didn't feel right. A huge, brown nest of ornery tracker jackers bursts open on the ground.