4 Days Later

Cato got Thresh. It took him two days two figure out where in the field he could be and then a day of deciding for the right time. Finally, when the thunderstorm was not ending, he just decided to go full force in it it. Thresh was about to get him, but Cato did some dirty fighting and won. Besides that, Katniss an Peeta are talking cozily in their cave now that the storm has covered, planning to go out and loo for food besides the broth Haymitch just sent them.

Little do they know that Finch is out there, laying on the ground beneath some brush, sleepily watching their cave entrance on the wet ground. She's been tracking them since Katniss got back and fell asleep. She was clever enough to notice the break in the cave's entrance and the uneven layout of the plants the pair from Twelve used to disguise the entrance.

Over the past few days I've taken to calling people. Normally it's Mags or Seeder, but sometimes Finnick answers and I laugh with him. I was a little sad when I found out Haymitch had ripped his phone out from Johanna. Of course, I talk to the rest of the Victors around me mostly but in the past two days I've had a habit of walking down the Shopping District with Axel and getting sweets for Pine while he gets whatever else he wants.

The minute I'm reading at the fountain and a cannon barely makes it over the faint noise of town, I go inside and find Pine scribbling something down on paper.

"What happened?" I ask quickly, stepping over and sitting down beside Mother on the couch..

"Finch ate some poisoned berries that Peeta had found," Mother says. The show a shot of Katniss screaming for Peeta, running through the forest and the claw picking up Finch.

"Some of the merchants down in the Sweets Shop had been betting on her, Five," I say to no in particular.

"It wasn't on purpose you know," Pine says matter-of-factly to me. "The boy was scavenging while Katniss was hunting and Finch thought that the berries were safe to eat."

The screen cuts back to Katniss running into Peeta and screaming at hi before hugging him.

"Did she call them Nightlock?" I ask.

Mother shrugs. "I forget what Ceaser calls them, she must think their something else. Either way she seems to know that their not edible berries."

My curiosity deepens when Katniss scoops some of the berries into Rue's little bag and then set off with Peeta. It doesn't last for long because twilight sets in even though it's early afternoon.

"It's the finale," Pine whispers to Mother.

Ceaser gives some brief information on the mutts this year. Each year they have something to drive the final few tributes together if they aren't already fighting- like the sandstorm in mine..

"They're genetically altered mutations," he explains. "The Gamemakers have inset replica eyes of the fallen tributes and matched their size and hair color to that of the mutt. For example, Finch, who we saw ate the berries today is going to be a petite mutation with red fur and amber eyes and a collar with s mini-solar panels labeled with a five."

When the mutts appear on the television, barking in the darkness, Cato and Katniss and Peeta all seem to have the idea- the Cornucopia. Cato gets there first, barely, with his past allies snapping at his heels. He doesn't get bitten, though, but is wheezing and hacking on top of the golden horn. Katniss and Peeta get there, Katniss pulling Peeta up only after he gets a giant bite in his ankle.

For a moment, their all friends. Cato asks if they can climb and they answer, instead try and beat the mutts off of the sides of the horn. The could shove Cato off and win right then but they don't. It realize that it's showing that we're still just kids. We don't want to fight.

The Gamemakers don't seem to realize this but keep flicking shots between it all until Cato pulls Peeta into a headlock.

Then it's whirl between Peeta painting an 'X' on Cato's hand and Peeta shoving the boy from Two down with the Mutts. I gasp, watching as he draws some sword and starts to fight them off. There's twenty-one total but I have no idea how many Katniss and Peeta picked off before Cato attacked..

He becomes to grow tired and the minute he starts yelling, Pine runs from the room and Mother goes to the kitchen to cook dinner. I close my eyes, but I can't shake his face from my mind so I follow Mother into the kitchen. Every so often I check but the cameras keep showing the tails of the mutts converging inside the horn and Katniss sitting on the top of the horn with Peeta. It takes so long until I check again it's almost dark outside.

Sitting down on the couch, I watch as Katniss flips down over the lip of the horn, her last arrow knocked, Peeta holding onto her ankles.

One word. "Please." That's all Cato says before raising his hand in the dim grey morning Arena light.. I feel my stomach churn when it shows his face, completely bitten by the mutts. I stuff my sleeve into my mouth as I gag, trying not to think about it too much.

Katniss is oddly accurate with that bow, hitting Cato perfectly in the temple. The cannon rumbles over the Cornucopia site and then we see Ceaser throw up his hands cheering as the slide down the horn. We see clips of the Capitol cheering but the fades quickly when no Hovercraft materializes.

Instead, Cladius Templesmith does. Instead of saying Congratulations he states that the rule saying that both Tributes can win, he says only one can now.

"No!" Mother gasps from the stairs.

Pine bites her lip, sitting down next to me.

Peeta unsheathes his knife, and Katniss draws up her bow. I think they're about to attack each other when Peeta tosses his knife to the ground.

Katniss stares at him for a moment and I expect her to shoot him with an arrow inn the neck, and win.. Instead she blushes and lowers her bow.

"So much for Star-Crossed lovers," I whisper to Pine. She gives a small nod, her eyes transfixed on the screen.

Peeta tells Katniss to shoot him. She refuses. That's when they do it- they pull out the bag of berries, count to ten, and then pour them into their mouths.

Mother shrieks, and Pine gapes, horrified.

I just stare at the screen- they're committing suicide. Then, Cladius talks. And they're won.

For a moment they hug, and then the Hovercraft materializes just as Peeta faints from his leg injury.

The television flickers off as Katniss screams for him, slamming her fists against he glass wall of the Hovercraft where they're operating on Peeta.

It's seconds before the telephone rings. For a moment, we just sit there, dazzled. The first time someone has ever threatened the Capitol. The first time two Victors ever made it out of the Hunger Games. I don't know, but the thought makes me smile.

"It's Johanna," Mother says shakily setting the phone back down. "She's want to go over.."

"Okay," I murmur heading outside before I say another word.

When I make it to her house everyone is already there. Johanna looks like she's between laughing or cursing.

"What happened?" I ask settling in an armchair, draping myself over it, legs dangling over the side. "How did they both win?"

Striker gives somewhat of an amused laugh. "Only four times has a threat happened."

Rasp shrugs. "When?"

"During the ninth Games," Striker says softly. "Then the Forty-fourth, then Fern, and now them," Striker answers softly.

"I didn't threaten them," I snap. "Everyone thinks it was just a joke."

He shrugs. "You know. Snow knows."

Nyla crosses her arms, sighing. "Yeah, but the Capitol got over that since they don't believe she really threatened them. There is no way President Evil can spin this to make it a positive."

Axel nods. "Yeah, but isn't that a good thing?"

"Not for Haymitch, Johanna answers. "Snow'll do something to him. That's just going to enforce Haymitch's ideas though..You know that he's going to totally want Katniss now."

Rasp shoots her a look which she returns.

"What do you mean?" I ask her.

Balsam answers before Johanna can, sweeping over to sit near me. "Nothing. She just means that he'll want her back home with Peeta."

Johanna rolls her eyes. "Oh, let Red know."

"No," Axel answers quickly. "Stop it."

"He's been talking about it forever," Johanna spits at him. "She's gonna' be told eventually. Why do we have to try and baby her?"

"You don't," I answer. "Tell me."

"Nothing is going on!" Balsam says, exasperated. "Johanna is just going on about nothing."

"Going on about nothing?!" Johanna echo's.

"That's right," Balsam quips, not even glancing at my mentor. "So shut already."

"Shut up?" Johanna repeats again.

"Oh, get an axe and chop some wood or something," Rasp says.

Johanna nods. "Yeah, maybe I will. I'll take my axe and-"

"Stop it!" Alona shrieks. "None of you are helping!"

"I'll tell her eventually," Johanna says, her eyes slits.

"Tell me now!" I beg. "I want to know!"

"See?" Johanna says, motioning to me. "The kid wants to know."

"There's nothing to know!" Balsam replies.

"I'm not five," I say. "I already know that something is going on."

"Apparently it's too big a secret-" Johanna begins before I cut her off.

"A secret? Oh! This is some of the Victors were talking about, isn't it? When I was mentoring. Haymitch and Finnick and Mags and Seeder. What? So everyone is let in on this little secret but me? Ombre, even! The ones from Six, Beetee, and you too Blight!"

He gives a sigh, put his face into his palms, wiping his eyes down. "Fern this isn't the time-"

"I want to know!" I shout. "What about Katniss?"

Balsam sighs, looking at me. "We want to tell you, but you need to understand that it's dangerous. It's information that needs to be kept safe and-"

"Oh," I say nodding, getting up on my feet. "I get it. I'm too young to know, you all don't trust me. Thanks for everything!"

Before any of them can continue, I slam the door behind me, refusing to look back.