Hey guys! Just wanted to let ya know a couple things before you read.

This is my first story I have uploaded to fanfiction. So if you have a min review after you read. I would greatly appreciate your thoughts or constructive criticism. Thanks!

For the purpose of this story the locations of the districts are different than in the books. The capitol would be near D.C. assuming they rebuilt their government near the ruins of our U.S. capitol. The ruins of District 13 are in the state of Washington because I wanted Jacob and the wolfpack to be in their original woodsy/beach environment from the Twilight books. Their tribe, of 13 survivors, lives near the coast in the southwest of Washington. District 12 is in Oregon just over the Washington border from the Quileute/ 13 survivors tribe. They are only a few hours apart.

This story is Jacob/Katniss. It will mainly center on Jake but it is not written entirely from his perspective.

In this chapter Jake is 10. Katniss is 11.

Running. Always running. He could feel the cool breeze on his face and the soft forest soil under his feet. In the air, he could smell the distinct musk of a storm coming in the distance and the fresh salty calm winding up from the cliffs that led to First Beach. He felt free and at peace sprinting under the dark shadows of the daunting hemlock and cedar trees. They stretched above him, living pillars of vibrant mossy green and carved chestnut bark. Like the trees, his steps were strong and sure. He flew across the ground without any thought or care, relaxing to the rhythmic sound of his feet and breathing as this dance he performed in his second nature swept him away. Suddenly he was torn from his euphoria as he heard a growl resonate deep within the forest. Hesitant but curious he began to venture towards the sound. Another angry growl, louder this time, erupted from the distance. The trees seemed to darken and bend toward the sound, leading him closer. Once again the guttural cry sounded off making him jump and duck behind a tree. He felt fear and adrenaline rush his body as he realized how close he had gotten. It sounded close enough to be directly behind him. Although he was scared, curiosity prickled down his spine motivating him to peek from behind the safety of his fir tree and search for any sign of movement. His eyes roved the dark shadows but could see nothing through the quickly developing fog. Straining to look farther his foot carelessly snapped down on a twig and he once again hid behind the tree and listened closely holding his breath.

Turning to look the other way, he froze with terror as he came face to face with a giant snarling beast. It was black with glowing red eyes and as big as a bear, but it had the face of a wolf, feral in its demeanor. It leaned down toward him now, its breath rumbling, softer and less aggressive. Suddenly the creature pulled its lips and muzzle back into a twisted smile, showing off its fangs. He knew this was the end. He would surely be ripped to shreds by this rabid monster. To his astonishment the beast did no such thing. Amused, it began to chortle away snorts of laughter through its giant muzzle. Opening its mouth and lolling its tongue out to the side the monster began to laugh louder, revealing it shimmering brilliant daggers of teeth. Still frozen in fear and disbelief he watched as the wolf howled in laughter, steam rising from its upturned face. He used this moment of distraction to finally move backwards from his stupor. He tried to escape taking several quiet steps away before the beast turned back down to look at him. Its face still poised in amusement it began to howl again when he started and tripped backwards into a large muddy puddle. He got up on all fours and tried to shake himself off when he saw it. In the reflection of the water he could see himself. He blinked his eyes trying to clear them as his heart sped up in horror. Glowing red eyes stared back at him. He gasped and saw a flash of pearly white fangs protruding from his shadowed face. He could hear the beast still howling in laughter as he came to the realization. He was a wolf.

Jacob jolted awake with a scream and felt tears roll down his face as he tried to catch his breath. He shook his head as he tried to reassure himself it was only a dream. Sadly it was the same dream he had been having almost every night for weeks. No more sleep for tonight he thought as he sat up and rubbed the sleep and tears from his eyes. He turned as he heard a knock on the door.

"Jacob, are you ok? I thought I heard you cry." Billy said as he knocked and opened the door.

"Yeah, I'm ok Dad it was just a nightmare," Jacob replied, squinting as his father stepped into his room holding a bright metal lantern.

"You've been having those a lot lately huh?"

"Yeah, they're always really scary. It feels like I'm really there."

Billy paused to set the lantern down on a cabinet and his face wrinkled in concern. He walked over to Jacob's bed and sat down on the edge, "I used to get a few bad dreams when I was your age. You're young, they'll probably pass with time."

"I hope so," Jacob sighed.

"Well I need to get going. I'm expected on patrol this morning and I wouldn't want to keep Harry waiting.

"You're still going to take me hunting later though right? You said I'm old enough to learn! You promised dad."

Billy's eyes crinkled with amusement, "Haha, … Yes I'm still planning on it today. We should catch a fine evening meal. I'll even teach you how to skin it!"

"Eww! I don't wanna see the blood and guts!"

"Jacob cleaning your kill is a part of hunting. They go hand in hand together, Billy said as he stood to leave the room.

"Alright," Jacob sighed in resignation, "but I hope it doesn't smell too gross or I won't even want to eat it."

Billy's laughter could be heard booming as he exited the room into the main cabin, "I'll see you later son. Do your chores and work hard in school!"

As he could hear the front door shut Jake sighed a "yeah right" under his breath and chuckled to himself as he got up to dress for school. Digging into a small wooden chest that held his wadded up clean clothes, he selected some jeans and a crinkled old brown t shirt for the day. He lazily stretched the morning from his muscles with a yawn and left his room to find some breakfast. The smell of cooked meat wafted up to his nose as he neared the tiny makeshift kitchen in the cabin. The small cooking area contained two cabinets for clay plates bowls cups and utensils and a tall shelf with various raw ingredients; grains, vegetables, fruits, and spices. A broken refrigerator salvaged from the ruins of district 13 stood in the corner. Although it didn't work it still managed to keep some foods cooler for a while. A tall wooden table for food preparation sat near a large stone fireplace that was between the kitchen and living areas. Finally another small wooden table with four chairs sat in the middle of the cramped space. The fire still crackled with life and glowed with warm red embers from the morning meal his father had prepared. Jacob found the plate that had been left for him and promptly sat down to eat. Spiced deer meat and fresh bread made his mouth water as he tore into his meal. For only being aged ten years he always had a big appetite. He finished the rest of his food and left the small wood cabin just as the sun was peaking over the caves.

Most of the Quileute tribe lived within large caves but because Billy worked as one of the tribe guards he and Jacob had a small cabin outside the caves in the surrounding woods. All of the tribe's warrior protectors and members of the council lived outside the caves along with some others that chose to. Jacob's sisters Rebecca and Rachel had chosen to move into the caves after their mom died three years ago. They now lived with a group of other unmarried women that supported each other and worked together. The caves provided great protection and had served the tribe well as a home since district 13 was destroyed so many years ago. Over the years as scavenged supplies from the district ruins grew more slim, the tribe had learned to become more self sufficient. Growing their own crops and hunting now provided most of their food. Many tribe members studied to be skilled builders and carpenters. Women had learned to make some of their own clothes and pottery. Warriors were trained to hunt, protect, and scavenge for the tribe. Many groups of warriors were still assigned to scavenge for supplies in the 13 ruins. They were also assigned to patrol the woods around the tribe grounds to keep everyone safe from possible threats. They called their caves and surrounding land La Push. All the skills it took to keep their settlement going were so important which is why they held school for the children. Billy always impressed the importance of learning on Jacob. Sometimes he was hard on the boy because his head always seemed to be in the clouds. Billy also knew what would most likely be in store for Jacob in a few years and he wanted his son to be smart and prepared so he would be kept safe. Being a protector of La Push and all that came with it was a difficult life.

Jacob ran through the misty morning woods until he reached the schoolhouse. He spotted Quil and Embry on the backside of the building engrossed in a heated game of chunkey. Embry had just rolled the stone and both boys were posed to throw their sticks. Jacob quietly tiptoed up behind them and roared just as they threw their sticks into the air. Both swung around with angry faces when they saw their sticks had missed their target by a lot.

"Jake! We had two sweetcakes bet on that! Why did you have to go and mess us up," a frustrated Quil shouted at Jacob.

"Quil don't get so heated about it. It's not like you would have won anyways," a snickering Embry said through a cocky grin.

"Don't be so sure Embry. Remember who beat you last time?" Quil, letting his frustration go, gave a friendly shove to the skinny boy who rolled his eyes and chuckled as he shoved Quil back.

"Well since neither of you won, you could always come over and have some of the sweetcakes Billy made yesterday," Jake replied with a knowing smile. Both of his friends turned their noses up in disgust.

"Eww! No way man! Billy makes the worst sweetcakes I've ever tried. I didn't even know it was possible for them to taste bad." Jacob and Embry laughed as their friend made fake gagging noises. Although Quil sometimes had a tempered personality, most f the time he was very playful and boisterous.

The three heard the teacher call them in for school and they hurried to the door. Jacob took his regular seat in the small classroom behind Embry. In all there were only around thirty seats positioned in rows through the room. That was about how many children there were in the tribe. There was only one desk in the room that the teacher used, which he was now sitting at. He was an old tired looking man with grey black hair and creases around his eyes and on his forehead. He turned to the door as Leah walked in and hurried to her seat. She sat across from Jacob ignoring his stare. Leah Clearwater was two years older than Jacob so she paid him no mind, but he always thought she was one of the prettiest girls in their tribe. He shyly tore his eyes from her as she turned to him with a questioning glance. The teacher began his lesson on District 13 and the students got quiet.

The Quileute's history was a subject frequented in school. The council wanted to be sure the children knew the history of their tribe, and that of district 13 and the war with the Capitol. It was important for them to know what a danger the Capitol was and why they needed to be careful to keep their existence a secret. Nobody in the tribe except some protectors and the council were allowed to leave La Push and go to any of the districts. It was known that sometimes a protector or council member would be sent to nearby district 12 to trade for needed items. It was a serious mission because no one from the district could find out where they were from or they would be risking the safety of the tribe. His father was sometimes sent to trade in the district.

The school days always seemed to go slowly for Jacob. His mind wandered and he longed to be outside and play. When the teacher dismissed school for the day Jacob sprung from his seat and ran out the door with a passing goodbye to Quil and Embry. He ran home as fast as he could, excited for his hunting lesson with Billy. When he reached the house he hurried inside.

"Dad? You ready to go?" Jacob called out. Silence met him and he went to his father's room to search. The bedroom door swung open and Billy's bed sat empty. Jacob frowned as he thought to himself that Billy must be on his way home. He walked back into the main room of the small cabin to look for something to eat. Grabbing a dry sweetcake he slumped into a chair and began munching. Hours passed and he got bored and angry waiting on his father. Billy knew that learning to hunt was important to him. How could he forget and just not show up? Finally after the sun had already set for the day Billy walked through the door wearing a tired face.

"Dad? What took you so long? You promised that you would take me hunting tonight!"

Billy sighed as he turned to his frustrated son, "I know I promised Jake…. I'm really sorry but something came up and I had to take care of it. We can go hunting tomorrow"

"But this always happens! You always get too busy doing something and then don't have time to spend with me. You promised! Mom would have kept her promise," Jake knew he was going a bit too far, but he couldn't help it. He missed his mom and ever since his sisters moved out he was alone a lot of the time. His dad was always patrolling or working. It felt like Billy wanted to avoid him.

Billy sighed again and bent down to look his son in the eye, "I know you miss mom Jake. And I know I have been busy lately, but what kept me away was really important. I wouldn't have been gone so long if it wasn't."

"You're right dad. I do miss mom. Because I was important to her." Jacob turned away from his father and headed to his room. "I'm going to sleep," he called over his shoulder before he slammed his bedroom door. Billy watched his son retreat with regret on his face. He knew Sarah's death had been especially hard on Jacob. His responsibilities took up so much time and it made it hard to have enough time to spend with Jacob. He knew he needed to try harder for his son. Right now he decided to simply give Jake some time.

Jake lay on his bed and stared out his window. The moon shone through and cast a gloomy light onto his face reflecting the way he felt. He was disappointed about not having his first hunting lesson but mostly he was hurt that his father had more important things to do than spend time with him. Tears began to roll down his face and he furiously wiped them away. He wished so much that he could talk to his mom. Wished that she would come walking through the front door and wrap him in one of her warm squeezing hugs that made him feel so at home. So loved. But she would never walk through that door again. Jacobs's eyes welled up and he shook his head trying to stop crying. His tears wouldn't bring her back he thought. He felt like he needed to get out of that microscopic room and clear his head. Getting off his bed he grabbed a jacket and crept over to his window to open it. Being as quiet as possible he climbed out and ran for the cover of the trees. Jake knew if his father caught him sneaking out he would be in huge trouble but he didn't really care. He was angry and he felt like he couldn't breathe in that house that just made him think of his mom. Jake had snuck out many times before at night. Normally to meet Quil and Embry for a game of hide and seek, or just to run through the woods because his dreams were bad. Sometimes he had nightmares of his mom dying all over again. His dad carrying her shredded bloody body back to their home. His sisters wailing and him being frozen in disbelief. Jake spent many nights out in the woods around his home just running. It was the same this night. He picked up his pace as soon as he reached a thicker section of the forest where he would normally run. The scent of the trees and soil calmed his nerves and he instantly relaxed. He was a fast runner. The boys at school would always have footraces and Jacob won on several occasions. He enjoyed the freeing feeling.

Journeying deeper into the forest Jake realized the sky was suddenly darker. The moon had disappeared behind a cluster of dark clouds. The air was heavy with the musty smell of a storm nearing. Realizing he had traveled quite far from his home, he decided he should turn around before he got drenched. Jake started heading back the way he came when he heard footsteps in the distance. He paused listening for more sound but the footsteps had stopped. Cautiously, he began moving forward again straining to hear or see any motion in the distance. To his right his eyes caught a quick flash of movement in the brush. He started with fear swinging to the side to spot whatever was stalking him in the dark. Panic iced his veins and he wished he wouldn't have run so far from his home. If something happened would anyone even be able to hear him or help him? Frozen, he listened for more movement and after a few moments heard soft footfalls at his back. He turned his head to the side and spotted a large thicket of brush nearby he could hide in. Steeling himself he charged when he heard all movement stop and sprinted to the brush for cover. He threw himself down and slid into the mass of vegetation hiding behind the thick roots protruding from the soil. Everything stilled and the forest was silent except for his heart thudding in his ears. Almost as if the sky was trying to match pace, raindrops started falling onto the leaves above him in sequence with his pounding heartbeat. He heard no more footsteps for a long while but he dared not leave his hiding space. Minutes passed and terror quelled in his body as this whole experience felt eerily similar to the dream he had had that morning.

Suddenly he heard quick footsteps in the distance. The sound separated and he realized it belonged to more than one being. Two trails of sound split to follow a third. It sounded as if they were chasing the third being. Growls sounded off into the night as he heard the two beings collide with the third and a struggle broke out. He figured this would be his chance to escape. Tucking his head out from the between roots, Jacob searched the black forest and saw where the sound was coming from. Three darks shadows danced violently around each other jumping and striking. He could not see the figures clearly but heard snarls and strikes as the shadows broke apart and came together.

Deciding he had seen enough Jacob turned the opposite way and ran as fast as he could away from the now monstrous sounds. As soon as he left the thicket he was instantly drenched and his feet sopped at the muddy ground with every pound to the forest floor. Minutes passed but he did not let up. He pushed his body to run faster even though his lungs were starting to burn from the strain. His muscles bunched and contracted as he struck the ground, desperately seeking escape. Adrenaline still sizzled inside his stomach and he wanted to be sure he was clear of the snarling creatures before he would allow his body to rest. The rain fell even harder and after a while he finally slowed his pace to a jog but kept retreating. As his heart finally calmed down from the frantic thumping that pelted his chest, he stopped and took a moment to get his bearings. Leaning over and bearing down, he tried to catch his breath. When he felt like he could move again he looked up for a sign of any recognizable landmark. In all directions around him he could see nothing but trees. The forest was dark and rain continued to pour from the blackened sky. Thunder and lightning cracked and boomed in the distance.

Jacob tried to focus and remember which direction he had come from. He was cold and his slender body shook as the wind swirled around him. Wrapping his arms around himself he ran under a large tree with limbs that stretched to protect him from the storm. He decided to rest there for a while hoping the storm would soon die down. Knowing he was now lost and stuck in a storm, he felt stupid for having left his room. He shouldn't have ventured so far from his home. And what were the creatures that had fought so close to him? He worried they would find him before his father did. Dread for what might happen consumed his thoughts.

As the sky quieted and the rain slowly dissipated Jake decided to start moving again. He began walking back the way he thought he had come from. It was hard for him to be sure though. He really couldn't tell which path was the right one to take. As he moved through the forest he stayed on high alert, ready to retreat if he heard and other living creatures in the woods. At one point after he had been walking for a long while he heard a rustle behind him. Startled, he turned to see a wily raccoon waddling off into the brush. He giggled to himself for scaring so easily and resumed his trek.

For what felt like (and probably was) hours, he walked. He knew he was severely lost because if he was heading in the right direction he would have made it home long ago. Feet throbbing and spirit sulking he moved on hoping he would find something. Just as he was ready to give up he saw a hill up ahead where the forest ended. Struggling to reach the top he pushed his muscles forward. When he made it and looked down upon the other side he couldn't believe his eyes. At the bottom of the hill there was a town.

Authors Note:

Thank you so much for reading! Hope you guys are enjoying this so far. First I would like to apologize that it took me so freaking long to update it, but I promise I will eventually finish it and it should be a fairly long fic so stay tuned. I'm not mean so my update speed (hopefully I'll be able to update more frequently) won't be based on how many reviews I get. I also will not quit writing it if I don't get a lot of reviews so if you just fell in love with this, no worries because it won't become a floater. And again (because I'm not mean, but I am annoying) please tell what you like and how I could improve since this is my first fic. Thanks!

What's Next?

-Jake explores District 12

-Bakery shoplifting

-Jake meets Katniss

-Cuddling:)