This is absurd.

I sit here, at the new justice building, still livid after a week. I asked to be received by Thom himself. I want to see how he explains this to my face.

I didn't need to walk much. Since the old justice building was destroyed during the bombings, three houses in Victor's Village were joined to create the new building. It was done in a week and the result looks good.

Under Snow's regime, the houses here in Victor's Village belonged to the government even when they were occupied by victors. Had things gone differently and I had died during the Quarter Quell, as I should, my mother and Prim would have had to leave. But President Paylor seems to think that us, victors, are national treasures, because things changed in our favor. Now, our houses are our own property.

One of the empty houses is destined to receive visits from the surviving victors from the other districts. Another one is destined to state and political visits.

Of the twelve houses of Victor's Village, only four remain purposeless.

The secretary calls me with a shy smile. "Miss Everdeen, it's a honor to see you. You can enter now. Please, follow me."

I enter the room and find Thom and Delly sitting behind the desk. Peeta is there too, with dark rings under his eyes.

"Oh Katniss, I'm so happy to see you again.", Delly says, grinning kindly, "The first thing I did when I came back to Twelve was to knock at your door, but I think you weren't there."

Her reception throws me off. Delly was a good friend back in Thirteen. However, I ignore her when I remember what I want to say.

"What the hell?", I yell at Thom, "Is this some kind of joke?"

"Please, Katniss, sit down. It has a very simple explanation."

I angrily sit and look at Peeta, sitting beside me and looking defeated. He hasn't looked at me since I arrived.

"What is he even doing here?", I ask.

Peeta looks wounded by my observation and raises his hands, "I know as much as you do, so don't take it on me, okay?"

Thom coughs and starts to speak in a tone that seems rehearsed, "Katniss, Peeta. Look... We are trying to repopulate the district. We are advancing... Well, our efforts at reconstruction have been failing because we still lack workers. Many bodies are still under the rubble and we still haven't been able to recover them."

I can see Peeta shiver by the corner of my eye. His family is still there, somewhere under the rubble of what used to be the bakery. I wish I wouldn't be so awkward so that I could easily reach for his hand, and I decide against doing so because I don't want to annoy him.

"Some people came back, but many of the old residents decided to go to other districts. There is no mine left, no jobs, no food, no healers. The town was destroyed and there's almost no housing. Many of us have been living in tents. So we need to rebuild. We need to create jobs. We need children."

Oh, he must be kidding me.

"Children is everything we don't need!", I reply, "Have you seen the orphanage, Thom? It's full of them and they don't even have enough food. And you're the one who says there's no employment -"

Thom sighs, "You're right, Katniss. But this isn't just about children. The government has given us a big sum of money to rebuild. We have the money to pay the construction workers. We just don't have enough workers. People weren't interested in coming to a district where nothing grows."

Delly smiles. "So we implemented this matching initiative. It's not that bad, really. This is not the first district where it's happening. Thirteen created it. And it has been having wonderful results in district eight -".

"The dictatorship is over. No one is forced to do anything. We just ask people to try for a month. If you don't like it, or it doesn't work for whatever reason, the marriage can be annulled.", Thom continues.

I must look horrified, because Delly squeezes my hand and adds, "Consent is important, Katniss, don't worry. Punishment is still harsh when that line is crossed." She smiles at me, "Anyway, this program is just for people who don't already have a partner. You already have yours."

I look at Peeta and he looks at me. He seems as dumbfounded as I am, and I can't avoid feeling sorry for him.

"I was surprised when none of you manifested the will to marry each other. The letter mentioned that possibility.", Thom admits in a tactful voice, "So I assume you're not in a relationship anymore. Am I correct?"

No one of us say anything, so he sighs. Delly looks worried and distraught.

"The initiative has been a success. Men from all over Panem have been writing and calling. They want to come here as long as they get to have free housing and a good woman for themselves. But very few women have been interested, so we'll have a shortage of women in no time." He looks at us carefully, trying to read our expressions. "My wife came out with a crazy idea, but I think it's brilliant. It's going to work very well." Thom looks sweetly at Delly, and it's just now that I realize they are married.

"Yes.", She smiles, "You are our celebrities. If you two take part in this... Katniss, women all over Panem love you and will follow whatever you do -".

"What?"

"This is the deal: your fans think you've already toasted, but they know you weren't officially married. Peeta said so on national television. So, you marry officially under our repopulation program, we make some propos that will be shown for the entire country to see -".

"Why, Delly?", Peeta sighs in apparent disgust. It's the first time he speaks.

"Peeta, what was I supposed to do? Let Katniss and you be paired with other people just because you're both too stubborn to admit you are in love?"

"You know this isn't right."

"Peeta, you're like a brother to me. My brother and you are all I have left from my old life. I will always make sure both of you are happy."

"Is that why you were defending Katniss so much back in Thirteen? So that I'd be a pawn in this game of yours?"

"Peeta, how can you-", Delly starts, looking hurt.

I don't want him to reply and crush me even more. It's clear he doesn't want it. His face doesn't lie. I don't want it either, but I don't reject him as he is rejecting me. So, I interrupt. "Your ideia isn't quite right. People know we haven't been paired in this program!"

"Of course. But you'll act as sponsors. You'll raise awareness for the cause.", Thom replies, his forehead full of sweat, "And that's not all. President Paylor has already accepted to build a medicine factory here in Twelve if we get to 25.000 inhabitants. Less than that would be a waste of resources. Also... Well, she's allowed us to have our own army in substitution of the peacekeepers, under the same condition. That's why Gale is training in Two. He will most likely train our army and command it."

I feel somewhat responsible that the only healer of district Twelve who is still alive has gone to Four, a district full of doctors. And she is my mother. Had I been a lovable daughter, I think, maybe she would still be with me, but I have mentally abandoned her at age eleven and she lost everything when we lost Prim.

Prim. I can't think about her now. Tears are threatening to come.

But I know I owe the people of my district this medicine factory, which will bring along hospitals, healers and experts in health. We desperately need them. Maybe one day my mother will come too.

Also, our own army. I look at Peeta and he is frowning at me. He is so manly and strong and fragile at the same time. The innocence is still there. I imagine the child he was, with those blue saucers, blond curls and sweet expression. A child that had to go to the games to kill or be killed. When we have our own armed forces this will be a district where people can protect themselves. A place where Peeta's child can be safe.

"Yes", I murmur in a whim, "I'll do it".

"Oh Katniss", Delly squeals, "I'm so happy for you!"

Peeta looks at me with an expression that I can't quite define. It looks like disappointment. Or heartbreak. "We can file for annulment in a month, is that correct?", He asks.

"Correct", Delly says.

"Okay then."