He pulled away first, hands still touching my face. His fingers played with my hair as his eyes wandered all over my face, taking in every inch. I was doing the same with him. My heart was pounding hard; I still got excited whenever he so much as touched played with my hair.

"I didn't think I'd find you again," he whispered, beginning to smile.

My head shook back and forth as I began to speak. That's when Finnick appeared, Johanna at his side, interrupting my thoughts.

Johanna spat out, "Hey, you two. As soon as you're done with the crying and kissing, get your butts to the beach."

"We're having a meeting," Finnick added at the end. He gave me a small smile and hurried off with Johanna, their heads together in conversation.

Peeta and I stayed sitting on the ground. Our hands had dropped from each other's faces once our allies had shown up, so I reached forward and grabbed his hand.

Laughing a bit, I wiped off a tear from my cheek, "I guess I'm done with the crying part." Then, almost shyly, I leaned forward and kissed his cheek. I allowed my face to stay close to his as I said, "Not so much the kissing part." It was a hint that I hoped he would pick up.

With a smile, Peeta helped me to my feet and put an arm around my shoulders to steady me. A bit disappointed that we were already rejoining the others, I leaned into him for support on the walk back. Quickly, before we began our way to the beach, his hand cupped my chin and kissed me on the lips.

He pulled away with a sly look. "Yeah, I'm not really done with that part either."

I smacked him half-heartedly on the shoulder, and we walked back to the group. Being with Peeta after missing him for what felt like so long was like meeting him for the first time. I forgot all the spats and fights we had had. I forgot about all the confusion surrounding our… complicated relationship. All I needed to know was that he was here, and that now I could make sure he got out of the Games alive.

He would get out of these Games alive.

Finnick had us sit in a circle, and I remained as close to Peeta as possible.

"We lost Wiress," Finnick said to start.

"But we also got rid of Gloss and Cashmere, so I consider it a win. She was annoying, anyways," Johanna answered.

Beetee gave a sad look before he began to mess with something in his hands. A wire of some sort. Well, it made sense; he was from district 3. If I remembered correctly, Wiress was his district partner.

"I'm sorry about Wiress," I said softly to him.

He gave a sad smile, replying, "It is what it is." His eyes never met mine, almost like he couldn't focus on anything.

"Then who's left?" Peeta asked. "I know Brutus and Enobaria are still out there. I saw them leave the beach."

Finnick and Johanna exchanged glances, before Finnick shrugged and said, "I've lost count."

"If I recall correctly," Beetee started, "we're the only ones left."

"So soon?" I gasped.

Johanna smirked, "We're all past victors." She leaned in a whispered, "We didn't win on accident. Well, except maybe you two."

"Hey," Peeta said defensively.

"Everyone calm down. We have to take them down before we can start killing each other," Finnick held out his hands to make peace.

"Can't wait," Johanna joked. Or… I assumed she was joking.

"What do we do once they're dead? I don't want to kill anyone, much less any of you," Peeta whispered, grasping my hand. He was a great actor. I almost believed that he thought Haymitch wasn't breaking us out sometime. I had been so focused on getting Peeta back that I had completely forgotten that I was going to make it out alive, or, at least, I had to believe that I was going to be.

There was a small part of me now that began to panic. Whether or not Peeta saw my hands begin to tremble, I didn't know, but he took my hands in his anyway, and I calmed down. A little.

"We should get some rest. It's almost night time, and it wouldn't make much sense to try and make a battle plan while we're all still exhausted," Finnick said softly. He looked up at Peeta. "Would you mind taking the first watch? You and Ivy slept last night."

"I was just about to volunteer," Peeta nodded with a grin.

"I'll stay up, too," I offered.

"No, you need sleep," Johanna sneered, "for the baby."

I blushed furiously. Oh yeah, I was pregnant. I slipped Peeta a small glance, at which he chuckled to himself, before we hurried after the others in search of shelter.

"I can't believe we made it this far," Peeta murmured, "again."

"The last ones," I breathed out. My eyes drifted in front of me to see Finnick, his shoulders drooping in exhaustion and… something else. Maybe it was sorrow. He looked mournful.

The last ones.

A sob rose in my throat, "Oh, Finnick."

Everyone stopped walking at my outburst. Slowly, he turned to face me. With new tears running down my cheeks, I made my ways towards him and put my arms around him, holding him tightly.

"Wh… what's wrong?" Finnick asked me, patting my back a couple times.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. After a shaky breath, I continued, "I'm sorry for Mags."

Exhaling sharply, Finnick buried his face in my shoulder and hugged me back. No one else knew what we were saying because we had whispered; all they saw was Finnick breaking down, a sight that was rarely seen. I felt his tears on my tribute uniform and couldn't help but tighten my grip on him.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered over and over again as he cried.

Beetee was the first asleep, curled up with that wire he was holding in his hands like it was a stuffed animal or a precious blanket. I watched him for a couple moments, noticing a tear fall down his cheek. My throat tightened as I realized that none of these people were as strong as they pretended to be. I was just like them, too. Only, I wasn't as good a pretender as they were; everyone could tell from the beginning that I was weak.

I glanced up at Peeta from my spot on the ground. Part of me knew I should be getting rest, but I just wanted to talk with him.

"Don't."

"I haven't even said anything yet," I answered, pouting.

"Sleep, Ivy. If there's any hope for the child, you should rest," Peeta replied. I shook my head to myself. If he was going to talk about the baby, it meant that this could be fake. Everything he said would be to get sponsors from the Capitol, and I didn't want that. I wanted him to be honest and sincere.

"I don't want to rest. I miss you."

"I'm here."

"I miss you," I repeated.

He turned to face me, laughing a bit, "Oh, Ivy."

My glance hardened, "What if you had died?"

"Then you wouldn't have known."

"I would've."

"How?" he smirked.

My hand felt my heart, "I would've known."

"That's how I knew you were alive." His head shook a bit as he looked at the sand in contemplation, "I didn't feel anything but restlessness. I just wanted to find you so I could protect you myself."

"I can protect myself, thank you very much," I responded.

"Oh, I know you can," he agreed easily.

I rolled over on my stomach, facing him, "Do you ever wonder what will happen after all this? When only one of us wins?"

"Or neither of us. You heard Johanna," Peeta pointed out, taking the conversation a different way than I thought it would have. I had assumed he would begin complaining about how I was the one to win and how dumb I was to think that he would let me die for him and blah, blah, blah. "We only won out first Games by luck. Neither of us were raised killers. How did we win a game centered around killing others?"

"By sticking together," I shrugged.

"I guess. It just scares me."

I sat up, moving closer to him on the beach. Johanna and Finnick, who had previously been bickering about something or other, had gone silent, signaling that they were finally asleep. We were alone.

"I'm scared that I'm changing. And I don't want to change."

"You're not changing. You're still that quiet baker's boy from district 12," I said softly and tenderly. My head set itself on his shoulder, and I wrapped my arm around his.

One of his arms went around me. "I'm not, though. I… I feel things differently. Now different things are important to me. I don't even remember what it was like before the Games, and I don't think if I survive them, which you know I'm not planning on doing, for your sake…"

"Not happening," I interrupted.

"If I return home, I don't think I'll be able to live," he muttered.

My head shot off his shoulder to speak, but he shushed me immediately.

"I'm not talking about killing myself, Ivy." He waited for me to settle down before continuing, "I'm talking about how I'll walk down the street with a knife in my pocket because I'm scared of everyone. I'll stay locked up in my house because I'm scared of getting taken away from it again. I'm even scared of if I do make it out with you alive, somehow."

"Why?"

"Because I'll never be able to let you out of my sight," he whispered. This would've been romantic if I hadn't understood what he meant so well.

"That's what I've been thinking of, too," I murmured.

"I won't be able to let you go anywhere without being afraid I'd never see you again. And I can't let that happen." His arm pulled me around into him so my face was in his chest, and he was hugging me. "Don't ever leave me, Ivy. Because I don't know what I would do."

I was crying. I hated myself for it, but I was slowly becoming a mess due to these Games. I couldn't pretend I was strong anymore, because I was only scared and desperate at this point. How could I depend so much on a person? It was ridiculous. And most of all, I couldn't believe that after all Peeta and I had been through, somehow I was still in his arms with him telling me how much I meant to him.

"Then promise that to me, too. Don't ever leave me. Because if you do, I have no one else."

I didn't need to hear his answer. After a couple moments of silence, I pulled away from him, kissed his cheek, and told him goodnight. I slept next to him, scared that if I didn't, he would vanish again.