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DISCLAIMER: NOT MINE! This chapter sorta sticks to canon lol

Chapter Nine

The 74th Hunger Games: Set Fire to the Rain

Katniss was about to haul her packs into a tree to make camp when a silver parachute floats down and lands in front of her. Katniss opens the parachute and finds a small loaf of bread.

If it wasn't for one of Peeta's many conversations about bread Katniss wouldn't have known that the bread came from District 11.

What must it have cost the people of District 11 who can't even feed themselves? How many would've had to do without to scrape up a coin to put in the collection for this one loaf? It had been meant for Rue, surely. But instead of pulling the gift when she died, they'd authorized Haymitch to give it to me. As a thank-you? Or because, like me, they don't like to let debts go unpaid? For whatever reason, this is a first. A district gift to a tribute who's not your own. Katniss lifts her face and steps into the last falling rays of sunlight.

"My thanks to the people of District 11." Katniss said with a small smile that showed her grief and gratitude. She wants them to know that the full value of their gift has been recognized.

Claudius Templesmith's voice booms down from overhead, congratulating the six tributes who were left. However, he is not announcing a feast instead he's saying there's been a rule change in the Games.

A rule change! That in itself is mind bending since we don't really have any rules to speak of except don't step off your circle for sixty seconds and the unspoken rule about not eating one another. Katniss thought darkly to herself, extremely baffled and disbelieving of this turn of events.

"Under the new rule, both tributes from the same district will be declared winners if they are the last two alive." Templesmith announces.

"Peeta!" Katniss couldn't help but gasp out. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand annoyed at herself for not being more careful.

Katniss shakes her head then heads towards the river where Foxface suggested he was hiding out at.

She hoped that whatever injury Cato had given Peeta wasn't incurable.

Katniss wants to win for Rue, for her family, for Foxface who hinted that she wanted Katniss to win too, but the huntress from District 12 didn't want to win without the kind baker who risked a beating from his own mother to save her and her family.

Is that what you really want? Of course my family needs me. Wouldn't you prefer to have peace for it to finally be over? I promised Rue. Is keeping a promise really worth it, when ountless men will do what they want to you because of Snow's demands? Stop! What would Prim, Sia, and Tel think if they knew the truth about you? That their precious Mama Kat is nothing but the Captiols dirty sex slave? Stop it! Who could ever want a used whore like you? Finnick knows what it's like...where'd that come from? Already forgetting Gale? What about Peeta who you are desperate to save? Looks like the Capitol did a good job turning you into a whore. Shut up! I don't have time for this I need to find Peeta! Katniss stopped battling her darkest thoughts she had a boy with the bread to save.

Following a trail of blood, Katniss' foot had just broken the surface of the water when she heard a voice.

"You here to finish me off, sweetheart?" Katniss for a moment didn't know if she was going to scowl or smile but she ended up beaming extremely relieved he was alive even though she couldn't see where he was located.

"Peeta! Oh, thank god you're alright… uh where are you? And never call me 'Sweetheart!' Haymitch calls me that, it's disturbing hearing you say it." Katniss said, her pretty face screwed up in disgust.

Peeta let out a pained chuckle.

"Well, don't step on me. And you got it, now that I know that I can't use 'sweetheart' as a term of endearment, I'll have to think of something else." Peeta joked weakly.

Katniss rolled her eyes annoyed that no matter how much rambling he was doing at the moment she still couldn't spot him.

"You know something Katniss? I find it amazing that while the rest of us look like crap you look flawless as ever. That being said, if you don't watch your feet not only will I have to deal a fatal sword wound but I'll have to worry about a broken nose." Peeta's teasing voice was right under her feet.

Still there's nothing, then his eyes open and unmistakably blue in the brown mud and green leaves. Katniss gasps in awe and is rewarded with a hint of white teeth as Peeta laughs.

It's the final word in camouflage. Forget chucking weights around. Peeta should have gone into his private session with the Gamemakers and painted himself into a tree. Or a boulder.

Katniss thinks stunned at his talent, Dean's not even this good at camouflage and that's pretty much what saved Dean from being found in the Games by the Careers.

Peeta's in a league of his own.

"Close your eyes again," Katniss suddenly orders.

He does, and his mouth, too, and completely disappears. Most of what she judges to be his body is actually under a layer of mud and plants. His face and arms are so artfully disguised as to be invisible. She kneels beside him.

"I guess all those hours decorating cakes paid off." Katniss said still in awe at his talent.

Peeta smiles. "Yes, frosting. The final defense of the dying."

Katniss scowls at him. "You're not going to die" She tells him firmly.

"Says who?" His voice is so ragged.

"Says me. We're on the same team now, you know," Katniss announces and his eyes open.

"So, I heard. Nice of you to find what's left of me." Peeta jokes morbidly.

She pulls out her water bottle and gives him a drink. "Where did Cato cut you?" Katniss asks.

"Left leg. Up high," Peeta answers with a grimace.

"Let's get you in the stream, wash you off so I can see what kind of wounds you've got." Katniss says with a frown.

"Alright, but just so you know the best medicine for leg wounds is actually kissing not washing out the bacteria." Peeta weakly flirts.

Katniss lets out a small laugh even as she rolled her eyes in disbelief. Here, he was slowly dying and he was flirting with her?

She let out a groan before irritably saying, "Geez, Peeta. Keep talking like that and I'll start confusing you with Fish Boy."

Peeta looked at her baffled, "Fish Boy?"

Katniss had no idea why she started blushing, she just knew that it greatly unsettled her.

"Finnick." She explained not meeting his eyes. Instead, Katniss decided to focus on treating his wounds to the best of her ability, she may have many skills but she nowhere near being as talented of a healer like her mother or Prim.

Peeta's eyebrows raised, "Finnick Odair?"

Katniss nodded, her face was a mixture of confusion and amusement at how Peeta said Finnick's name. Peeta couldn't even keep the scowl off his face, he really didn't like the affection in her voice when she said 'Fish Boy'.

"How do you even know him?" Peeta asked trying to hide the jealousy in his voice. Lucky, for him Katniss was too taken aback by the idiotic question to notice.

"We're both Victors, Peeta. We've mentored together." Katniss drawled out slowly since it was obvious, she couldn't believe he'd ask such a stupid question. Peeta blushed embarrassed.

"Oh, right. Of course. Right." His blush deepened as she started laughing.

"Do you think you can stand? You can lean on me, we need to get going before anyone finds us. Foxface mentioned there's a cave nearby, she wasn't able to access it because she didn't have the upper body strength to move the rock covering the entrance. But between the two of us I think we'll manage, it will be the perfect hideout."

As, Peeta leaned on her he asked confused, "Foxface?"

Katniss smiled fondly, "You weren't the only one to make an alliance,"

Peeta looked at her in surprise, "How do you know about my alliance with Thresh and Bantu?"

She smirked at him as they entered the cave, "I made allies with the sneakiest little spies. Foxface or Vixen from District 5 and…Rue the little girl from District 11."

Her voice trailed off in sadness as she mentioned Rue and her eyes prickled with tears.

Peeta noticing this gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and looked at her in sympathy, "You saw it happen didn't you?" He asked softly.

She nodded her head, "Turns out Rue was Haulm's little cousin and just like him I sung to her until her last breath."

Peeta scooped her in a comforting hug, knowing she wouldn't want to discuss it any more he decided to distract her.

"You know how in the interview I said that I had a crush on you forever. Well, it was the first day of school and we were five. You had on a red plaid dress and your hair . . . it was in two braids instead of one. My father pointed you out when we were waiting to line up," Peeta says.

"Your father? Why?" Katniss asks perplexed.

"He said, 'See that little girl? I wanted to marry her mother, but she ran off with a coal miner.'"

Katniss' eyes widen, "What? You're making that up!" She exclaims.

"No, true story," Peeta says. "And I said, 'A coal miner? Why did she want a coal miner if she could've had you?' And he said, 'Because when he sings . . . even the birds stop to listen.'"

Katniss gapes at him before softly saying, "That's true. They do. I mean, they did," Katniss says stunned and surprisingly moved, thinking of the baker telling this to Peeta.

"So that day, in music assembly, the teacher asked who knew the valley song. Your hand shot right up in the air. She stood you up on a stool and had you sing it for us. And I swear, every bird outside the windows fell silent," Peeta says.

"Oh, please," Katniss says laughing slightly blushing.

"No, it happened. And right when your song ended, I knew — just like your mother — I was a goner," Peeta says. "Then for the next eleven years, I tried to work up the nerve to talk to you."

Katniss didn't really know why she did it but she pulled him towards her and kissed him deeply.

Since it was only the second time she kissed someone purely for herself, Katniss couldn't help but compare it with Gale's kisses. Gale's kisses were possessive and heated.

Peeta's were gentle and worshiping.

Both were nice yet they both were missing something, Katniss couldn't help but wonder what kissing Finnick would be like.

She backed away from Peeta shocked at herself, Where the hell did that thought come from?

Peeta smiled widely at her, "The only way this moment could get better is if you were to sing to me right now."

Katniss sighed but a tiny smirk crossed her face very briefly before she began singing a song that she knew the Capitol audience would go gaga over:

You would always win, always win but I set fire to the rain, watched it pour as I touched your face, let it burn while I cry

'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name, when laying with you I could stay there, close my eyes, feel you here, forever

I can't help myself from looking for you I set fire to the rain, watched it pour as I touched your face

Let it burn while I cried, 'cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name, I set fire to the rain and I threw us into the flames, where I felt somethin' die

'Cause I knew that that was the last time, the last time, oh, oh, no, let it burn

Peeta beamed at her, "I really do love you."

Katniss managed to keep the panic off her face and not knowing how else to respond she kissed him passionately to distract him. It worked and he moaned into her mouth. Katniss felt guilty for feeling relieved when they were interrupted by Claudius Templesmith, and he's inviting the tributes to a feast.

"Now hold on. Some of you may already be declining my invitation. But this is no ordinary feast. Each of you needs something desperately."

Peeta looked at Katniss' determined expression in horror

"You're not going." Peeta pleaded.

"I am. You would do it for me. In fact if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have even been alive to have been reaped the first time."

Peeta looked confused before realization hits his eyes.

"Are you talking about the bread when we were kids? Katniss this isn't the same." Peeta protested.

"I owe you more than you'll ever know. You didn't save just my life when you gave me that bread, you saved my whole family. You gave me hope that I could survive, you reminded me that I couldn't just think about myself. Everyone, knows how much I love Sia, Prim, and Tel. They wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for you and I'm not going to let you die, Peeta." Katniss vowed passionately.

He looked at her awed.

Just as he was about to protest more she cut him off with a kiss and before he could argue anymore she knocked him out using pressure points. It'll only buy her an hour but he won't be able to interfere.

"Sleep tight, Peeta." Katniss whispered.

Damnit, Little Fox! I should have thought of that, Katniss thought bitterly yet deeply proud and impressed at Vixen's cunning as she took off with her pack.

Katniss shook her head before heading towards Peeta's medicine. Clove knocked her into the ground.

Katniss shook her off annoyed, as she danced away from Clove's attempt to stab her with a knife.

"Looks, like I get to kill you after all, huh, Firegirl? Just like we killed your little ally. What was her name Rue? Shame I wasn't there for it, I bet you cried. Too bad that little ginger ally of yours took off before I could torture her in front of you. Oh, well she's next after you." Clove taunted her maliciously.

Katniss glared at Clove in absolute hatred for the way she was talking about Rue and Vixen.

Just as Katniss was about to kill the female District 2 Career, Clove Isenhower was pulled roughly away from her killing range by Thresh Klopp.

When he shouts, Katniss jumps having never heard him speak above a mutter.

"What'd you do to that little girl? You kill her?" Thresh demanded furious.

Clove is scrambling backward on all fours, like a frantic insect, too shocked to even call for Cato.

"No! No, it wasn't me!" She screamed frightened.

"You said her name. I heard you. You kill her?" Another thought brings a fresh wave of rage to his features.

"You cut her up like you were going to cut up Spitfire here?" He glared at her in absolute loathing and disgust.

"No! No, I —" Clove sees the stone, about the size of a small loaf of bread in Thresh's hand and loses it.

"Cato!" Clove screeches.

"Clove!" Cato's answer, but he's too far away it won't do her any good. Thresh brings the rock down hard against Clove's temple. It's not bleeding, but Katniss can see the dent in her skull and know that she's a goner. There's still life in her now though, in the rapid rise and fall of her chest, the low moan escaping her lips. Thresh attention turned towards Katniss. They both studied each other not wanting to kill one another but they both wanted to survive.

"What'd she mean? About Rue being your ally?" Katniss was taken by surprise how gentle his voice was when he addressed her.

"I — I — we teamed up. Blew up the supplies. I tried to save her, I did. But he got there first. District One, Marvel." Katniss said with unshed tears in her eyes.

"And you killed him?" Thresh demands gruffly.

"Yes. I killed him. I buried her in flowers and I sang her to sleep." Katniss said sincerely.

"To sleep? Like Haulm?" Thresh says thickly.

"Yeah. To death. I kept singing until she died," Katniss whispers.

"Your district...they sent me bread."

Thresh smiled softly, "Doesn't surprise me, Spitfire. You're precious to my District. You aren't my enemy. Go! Run, I'll take care of Cato." Thresh told her forcefully.

Katniss presses her three middle fingers of her left hand against her lips and holds them out in his direction.

Thresh's eyes widen at the gesture recognizing it from her Reaping, he nodded towards her in acknowledgment before running off with his and Cato's pack.

Katniss grabbed hers and ran back to Peeta.

Katniss makes it back to the cave in time to see Peeta awake, he whispers "Katniss."

Then Peeta's eyes suddenly flutter.

BOOM

Katniss Everdeen stares at Peeta Mellark in shock as she watches him die right before her eyes

"No, no, no…" She chanted horrified.

Katniss took his body in her lap, it was true, she failed the boy with bread, he was dead.

Katniss cried into the dark of the night.

AN: So sad :'( What do you guys think? Poll on my profile vote please and thanks!

SONG: Set fire to the rain (Adele)

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P.S. IF THIS STORY MAKES IT TO 50 REVIEWS TODAY I WILL POST ANOTHER CHAPTER TONIGHT! ;)