CHAPTER 16. Friendship.

With Peeta back in Victors' Village, Katniss settled into her routine once more. Every morning, she went to school and, in the afternoons, she escaped to the woods. Twice a week, Rory went along with her.

Winter had always been the hardest season for the hunters of District 12 -the frozen streams and cold temperatures drove most of the game away– but, between Gale's snares and her bow, she still managed a few decent hauls.

As early night fell on Twelve, Katniss made her rounds to the Hob and the merchant quarter. Sometimes she had enough game leftover to trade with Peeta but, even when she didn't, she went over to his house and helped with his greenhouse.

Safely nestled in their glass bubble, the victor and the huntress grew closer. Their shy, fleeting glances were gradually replaced by open smiles and more deliberate looks.

Just as she had learned to read Gale's shifting moods when they hunted in the woods, Katniss began to understand Peeta's.

Always on alert, she noticed even the smaller details of everything he did. Like the way he furrowed his brow when he inspected the new sprouts breaking through the soil; or how his usually easy expression was replaced by something more intense and removed that hinted to an entire world locked away inside him whenever he focused on something new.

She was watching him one afternoon -distractedly cleaning an empty flower pot while he picked purple basil blooms- when Peeta suddenly stopped and looked up.

Caught off guard, Katniss started. Embarrassed, she looked away.

Tilting his head, Peeta gave her an amused look. "Is that a smile, Miss Everdeen?" he teased.

A soft blush crept up her cheeks. Keeping her eyes on her cleaning rag, she gave a small shrug. "Maybe."

Peeta laughed. In the small space, his voice suddenly turned serious. "Are we becoming friends, Katniss?"

Katniss looked up. "Friends?"

"Mm-hmm. People who spend time together because…" He wanted to say 'because they like each other', but the words suddenly seemed too bold. "Well, just because, I guess," he offered instead.

Katniss bit her lip. Inside her chest, her heart did that pitter-patter thing it did when Peeta was around. "You want us to be friends?"

Peeta's blue eyes sparkled. "I do!"

Skeptical, Katniss scowled. "Why?"

Chuckling, Peeta rubbed the back of his neck. His cheeks turned pink. "Do I need a reason?"

Flustered, Katniss shook her head and averted her eyes. As much as his words thrilled her, there was a part of her —the stubborn, insecure side of her that was still cautious about establishing any new attachments—which made her want to run for the woods.

She was still trying to figure out how to answer when she looked back up. The storm raging in Peeta's eyes stopped her short. She couldn't remember ever seeing such raw uncertainty, such sadness. His pain punched the air right out of her lungs.

Peeta had always been charming and popular. He was a handsome victor who was constantly surrounded by people -someone who didn't need any more friends- but, at that moment, he looked as lonely and lost as the men who walked around the Hob looking for scraps.

If this had been anyone else, Katniss would have kept quiet and turned away, but this was Peeta. The boy who had saved her from starvation, the man who brought light and laughter to her cold winter days. She couldn't bear the thought of hurting him, and she certainly didn't want to push him away.

Trying to keep the anxiety she felt from her voice, she explained, "You have plenty of friends, Peeta. I-,"

Peeta crossed his arms over his chest. "I do? Name one."

"Madge!" she blurted.

"Madge doesn't count! She's my cousin. Come on, name another one," he challenged.

Katniss pursed her lips and wrinkled her brow.

Peeta took a deep breath and waited. He knew he wasn't being reasonable. Katniss didn't owe him anything -and she was under no obligation to be his friend- but he hadn't expected her to be so doubtful. Her silence had hurt as much as rejection did. Standing in front of her now he felt weak, exposed. He didn't like it.

Katniss dropped the cleaning rag on the table and mirrored Peeta's pose. "Delly Cartwright?"

Peeta chuckled. "Are you asking me?"

"No." Lifting her chin, Katniss tried once more. "I'm telling you. Delly. Delly Cartwright is your friend."

Peeta shook his head. His earlier annoyance quickly turned to delight as he considered that Katniss had paid enough attention to him to know who he had spent his lunch breaks with.

Looking for something to do with his hands, he reached for a pair of pruning shears and began inspecting the basil plant once more. Softly, he admitted, "We were friends once –Delly and I- but I've barely seen her or spoken to her in months."

"What about the others?"

He looked up. "What others?"

"Well, your teammates, and…" Katniss shrugged. She remembered their faces, some of their names even, but she hadn't paid much attention to them through the years. She didn't really know who they were. "I don't know. I seem to remember you running around surrounded by people all the time."

"I was, wasn't I?" Peeta mused. He took a step back; there were no more blooms left for him to pick. "I guess we just went our different ways."

His palms felt clammy, but he was determined to push through. Setting his shears aside, he gave his request another try. "I know how lame this sounds -and you're totally free to say 'no'- but… I don't know."

He looked up. Katniss was standing on the other side of the work table —holding her arms across her chest like a shield to protect her from his words—, but there was a plea in her eyes that encouraged him to go on.

Swallowing past his anxiety, Peeta said, "I guess I was hoping we could be friends."

Maybe it was the hope shining in his eyes, or the way his crooked smile made her heart beat at an entirely new pace but, this time, Katniss didn't hesitate. "OK."

Peeta's eyebrows shot up. "You'll allow it?"

Smiling, Katniss confirmed, "I'll allow it."

XXXXX

Katniss stepped out of the busy corridors of the Hob and onto the cold street. With a shiver, she tightened her scarf around her neck and turned towards the Seam.

She had almost reached the end of the building when a familiar pea coat caught her eye.

"Peeta!" she called out.

Startled, Peeta stopped short. His hands tightened protectively over the strap of the messenger bag he carried. As recognition set in, he relaxed. "Hey, Katniss!"

In a few steps, Katniss closed the distance between them. "Visiting Taryn?"

With a shake of his head, Peeta opened his bag. Four white liquor bottles sparkled in the wintry sunlight. "Ripper."

Shocked, Katniss pulled back. Her stormy eyes found his. "Why?"

Touched by Katniss's concern, Peeta explained. "It's not for me." With a sad smile, he tilted his head towards Victors' Village.

Relief colored Katniss's delicate features. She had never spoken to Haymitch, but everyone knew he drank from sunup till sundown. Moving in closer, she whispered, "I thought he got shipments sent from the Capitol."

"He does, but it's not enough. Sometimes he needs more."

A small group of miners walked past leaving a fragment of hushed laughter trailing behind. Annoyed by the mischief in their curious eyes, Katniss pulled away.

Following her lead, Peeta straightened up and readjusted the bag over his shoulders. "Are you headed home?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Mind if I tag along?"

Her eyes lit up. "Of course not!"

Without further discussion, they began walking. A couple of blocks down the road, Peeta asked, "So, did you catch anything good today?"

"Not really," Katniss grumbled, "just a couple of squirrels, and a scrawny badger."

"Two squirrels, huh? Did you take them to the bakery?"

"I did."

"I bet my dad was pleased."

"He was." With a satisfied smile, Katniss patted her hunting bag. "He gave me a whole loaf for them."

Peeta nodded. The idea of his father exchanging bread with Katniss pierced his heart –it was just another reminder that life went on without him. Focusing back on the conversation, he asked, "What did you do with the badger?"

Katniss pointed back to the Hob. "I gave it to Sae. She'll probably turn it into a stew."

Peeta wrinkled his nose. "A badger stew?"

"Yup." Leaning slightly into him, she whispered, "She probably won't call it that, though."

Peeta laughed. The happy sound was like music to Katniss's ears.

Looking past him, she noticed they had taken the long route and were about to reach the Meadow. Feeling nostalgic, she stopped for a moment to look at the vast expanse covered in white snow. Beyond it, the fence and her woods beckoned.

There was a spot to their left where a small mound of snow rested against the fence barely disguising a tear in the chicken wire. Peeta tilted his head in its direction. "Is that how you get out?"

"Yeah, but I don't use that one, though. My bow and arrows are stashed in a hollow tree trunk further ahead. There's another exit there."

The sound of distant footsteps crushing the fallen snow made them turn. A small group of children was headed their way. Judging by the smiles on their faces, they were getting ready to start a snowball fight.

Wordlessly, Katniss and Peeta started walking again.

"I've been thinking about your family's plant book," Peeta said once they had left the Meadow behind.

"You have?"

"Yeah. I was thinking that I could help you with it if you want."

"Help me?" she repeated in confusion, "How?"

Peeta's cheeks reddened. He didn't know why he was being so forward all of a sudden, Katniss's family book was a prized heirloom and he was probably overstepping his bounds. "Well, you mentioned wanting to add new entries. Maybe I could draw the plants for you."

Tilting her head, she looked up. The happy glow in her eyes settled his nerves. "You'd do that?" she asked.

"Sure. Why not? I think it'll be fun."

Katniss's heart began to race. She had already seen some of Peeta's watercolors and sketches spread around his house. The Capitol reporters were right; the young victor was very talented.

Honored by his offer, she immediately agreed, "OK. I'll bring it with me the next time I go to Victors' Village."

Thrilled -and a bit surprised- by Katniss's reaction, Peeta nodded.

A comfortable silence settled between them as they walked and, before long, the smooth asphalt which surrounded the town was replaced by the uneven paving stones of the Seam.

Without a specific destination in mind, Peeta slowed down. Katniss took the lead.

They walked past the main road and turned a corner. Katniss pointed to the small house at the end of the block. "That's me."

Peeta stopped short. He didn't know the Seam well, but he knew that street. "Really?"

"Yeah." Noticing he had stopped, she whirled around. "Why?"

"That's where Tessa used to live," he explained.

Curious, Katniss followed Peeta's gaze.

The small building on the corner was nothing special -just another run-down Seam shack—and yet, the sadness in Peeta's eyes as he looked at it made her want to cry.

She had never heard him talk about his district partner before, but she hadn't forgotten some of the footage she'd seen during his time in the Capitol. Before she could stop herself, she asked, "You knew her well?"

With a shake of his head, Peeta pulled his eyes away from the building. "No, not really, but I visited her mom once." His voice was broken and hollow when he added, "She was nice."

Without even thinking, Katniss closed the distance between them and placed a gentle hand on his arm. "I've never met her," she said. Then, because she couldn't stand the pain in his eyes, she added, "I'm sorry."

Surprised, Peeta focused his attention on the soft pressure of Katniss's hand over his arm. Even through the layers of fabric, he could feel her warmth.

Other than Portia, Haymitch, and Cinna no one had ever told him they were sorry -most people just congratulated him on winning the Games. Katniss was the first outsider who seemed to understand that he had lost something in the arena. Maybe it's because she's lost someone too, he thought.

Touched by the concern in her sad gray eyes, Peeta pushed aside the heaviness in his heart and managed a wistful smile. "Thank you."

Katniss nodded. Tilting her head towards her house, she offered, "Would you like some tea?"

Peeta's mood brightened. "I'd love some!"

XXXXX

"And this is Buttercup," Prim announced, gesturing towards the mangy cat hiding under Mrs. Everdeen's rocking chair.

With a friendly smile, Peeta wiggled his fingers in the direction of the surly fur ball. "Nice to meet you, Buttercup."

Prim reached under the chair, grabbed the cat and cradled it in her arms. "He was half-dead when Katniss found him, but he's doing a lot better these days," she said looking fondly at the feline while she scratched his chin.

Like the pampered pet he was, Buttercup began to purr.

"Looks like you've got the healing touch," Peeta said.

"She does." Katniss looked up from the teacups she had just placed on the table. "She got that from our mother."

Smiling at the pride in Katniss's voice, Peeta walked towards the kitchen table. "What about you?"

Katniss began pouring the fragrant mint tea into the cups. "I think I'm more like my dad. I can shoot them, but I'm not good at making them better."

Peeta smiled. He understood what Katniss meant but, after spending the last few weeks working with her in the greenhouse, he wasn't so sure he agreed. "You're good with plants, though."

Katniss shrugged. "Plants are easy. They don't need much, just water and warmth."

The touch of melancholy in her voice intrigued him but, before he could dig any deeper, Prim pulled out a chair and motioned for him to sit down.

"Are you going to the market day fair?" Prim asked taking the empty chair by his side.

Peeta nodded. He had never missed a market day fair.

For as long as he could remember, his father had set up a booth in the town square, and Peeta and his brothers had been in charge of managing it.

But things were different now. Peeta was still supposed to help at the bakery -his mother had already asked him to frost the cookies like he did every month—but, as a victor, he was expected to mingle around and smile at the cameras the Capitol sent.

"How about you?" he asked blowing into his cup of tea.

"I'm going with Penny and her cousin," Prim explained. "Rory and Vick might be coming along too."

He turned to Katniss, and his traitorous heart picked up its pace.

Peeta had spent years trying to come up with a way to approach Katniss. Every month since he was 14, he had wanted to ask her to join him on market day, but he had never found the courage.

Now, as he sat across from her on her kitchen table, he wished he had. Because, even if they were friends, he wasn't in a position to ask her out. Not with the Capitol cameras watching.

Putting his regrets on hold, Peeta asked, "How about you?"

"I'm meeting Madge there," Katniss said.

Surprised by the news, Peeta nodded. He knew Katniss usually went to the fair, —there wasn't much to do in District 12, so most people never missed it— but he had never seen her there with Madge.

He was about to ask her whether she'd also be meeting Gale when their conversation from before New Year's came back to his mind.

Is she keeping her distance to avoid further misunderstandings about their relationship? He wondered.

For a split second, his old, stubborn wishes resurfaced but, before he could do anything about them, Katniss added, "I don't think we'll stay long. We'll probably just take a stroll around the square, and head home."

"Make sure to stop by the bakery's stall," he said, hoping to spend a little time with her there. "I might be able to get a couple of cookies for you."

As expected, Katniss immediately straightened up. "Peeta, you don't have to—,"

With a shake of his head, he stopped her objections. "We always have discarded bits we can't sell. I'll just put a couple inside a bag and keep them for you." Turning towards Prim, he added, "It won't be much, and they won't look pretty, —they won't even be frosted— but you could share them with your friends."

Next to him, Prim beamed. "Thank you, Peeta!"

Peeta smiled -happy to see that at least one Everdeen sister was pleased with his plan— but, remembering how Katniss was always reluctant to accept gifts, he braced himself for the objections she was likely to raise.

Surprisingly, none came.

Intrigued, he turned to face Katniss once again. She didn't look pleased. Her eyes were cast down as she looked at her mug and slowly shook her head.

For an instant, the victor wondered if he should worry. Had he overstepped?

He was still trying to figure out what to say when Katniss looked up. The sweet smile on her lips eased his worries.

XXXXX

Katniss stuffed her gloved hands inside her pockets and picked up her pace. Gale followed close behind. Fresh-fallen snow crunched under their boots as they made their way back to the district.

Twin smiles curved the hunters' lips, they'd had a good morning. Rory's net had yielded a handful of fish, Katniss had found enough parsnips to make a soup, and Gale had even managed to shoot a fat turkey.

They reached the edge of the woods and kept going, making a beeline for the back of the Hob.

Hiding in the shadows of the illegal market, Katniss pointed to a break in the fence. "Wanna use this one?"

"Yeah." Gale patted the fat bird hanging from his belt. "We should get this one to Cray first."

Katniss nodded. She shrugged her hunting bag from her shoulders, pulled it open, and offered it to her friend. Swiftly, Gale pulled the turkey from his belt and slid it into Katniss's bag.

Like in a rehearsed dance, Gale silently took the satchel and watched as Katniss slid under the fence. As soon as she was on the other side, he pushed the bag through the opening and followed.

The hunters patted down their arms and legs, ridding themselves of the snow which clung to their clothes.

Gale lifted Katniss's bag from the ground and placed it over her shoulders. "Ready?"

"Yeah, let's go."

With Gale taking the lead, the partners began walking again. They kept to side streets and lonely alleys, heads bent down, smiles hidden.

They had almost reached the barracks where Peacekeeper Cray and his officials lived when Gale suddenly stopped short.

Caught off guard, Katniss bumped against him.

Gale swung round. His gray eyes flashed with worry. "You ok there, Catnip?"

Katniss nodded. "What's-,"

With a swift motion, Gale pushed her against the side of the building. "Hush! Listen."

Happiness gave way to dread.

Katniss pressed her back to the cold wall and watched as Gale turned towards the tall building in front of them. His whole body was as tight as the string on a bow as he strained to see across the street.

Tightening her hold on her hunting bag, Katniss craned her head to see what Gale was focusing on.

The large white van parked in front of the Peacekeepers quarters was too clean and too new to belong to District 12. Like a swarm of tracker-jackers, a group of officers -dressed in spotless white uniforms— spilled from the vehicle and the building.

In the distance, a commanding voice rang loud and clear, barking instructions at the officers in the square.

The fear in Gale's voice matched the one running through her veins. "That doesn't sound like old Cray."

Panicked, Katniss dug her fingers into her friend's arm. "Let's go home."

XXXXX

The setting sun cast long shadows over the snow when Katniss reached Victors' Village.

On tired limbs, she climbed the steps to Peeta's back door and rapped the familiar tune.

"Hey, Katniss!" Peeta greeted. His brow wrinkled as soon as he took in her pale cheeks and downcast eyes. "Is everything OK?"

Katniss nodded curtly. "Can I come in?"

"Sure." Peeta stepped away from the door to let her through.

Without another word, Katniss rushed to the kitchen island. It had been a long, stressful day and her hunting bag –still stuffed with Gale's wild turkey- felt oddly heavy against her hip.

Eager to get rid of the fat bird, Katniss pulled it out of her bag.

Peeta's eyes widened in surprise. "Is that a turkey?"

"Yup." Holding it by the neck, she asked, "You want it?"

"Well, yeah, but…" He closed the door, reached her side, and took the turkey from her. "What am I supposed to do with a whole turkey?"

Katniss shrugged. "Cook it?"

Peeta nodded. After laying the bird on the counter, he turned towards his visitor once more. There was a worried look in her eyes he had never seen before. "Katniss, what's wrong?"

Dropping her head, Katniss let out a long sigh. Peeta watched her shoulders sag as she emptied her lungs. "I think there's a new Head Peacekeeper in town."

"What? How-," Like an avalanche, a thousand thoughts came crashing into his mind. The images of violence and blood he had seen in District 8 got tangled with President Snow's words. There are things which have been set in motion, things that can no longer be stopped.

Struggling to contain the panic rising within him, Peeta shook his head and started again, "Tell me what happened."

As clearly as she could, Katniss told him about the turkey Gale had caught and about their failed visit to Cray's house.

"The new Head, did you recognize him?" Peeta asked when she had finished.

Katniss shook her head. "We didn't get a good look at him, but you could hear him a block away. He kept barking orders at the new peacekeepers -there were at least a hundred of them. Their uniforms were all clean and pressed, and they followed his orders without hesitation."

"Did they see you?"

"No, we weren't close enough for them to notice us." Feeling drained, Katniss pulled out a stool and hopped on it. "Gale is worried that they'll turn the fence on again."

Peeta nodded. He didn't want to worry her but -given what he knew- he thought Gale was right. A new Head Peacekeeper could only mean one thing: the country was in turmoil, and President Snow wasn't taking any chances when it came to keeping the districts under his thumb.

A shiver ran down his spine as he realized that things were about to get a lot more difficult for the people of District 12.

He looked at Katniss. Just the day before they had laughed and joked as they shared a cookie in the town square. The world had seemed so peaceful -so joyful—then, but now, the happiness was gone. The Katniss who sat before him was distraught and panicked.

With a heavy heart, he realized that he didn't know what to do to help her.

Trying his best to comfort her, he said, "Gale might be right, but I wouldn't rush to any conclusions. Cray wasn't the first Head to neglect the electric fence. This new guy may be stricter, but that doesn't mean he's going to repair it. At least not right away."

Desperate to hang on to even the faintest shred of hope, Katniss nodded. "That's a good point," she whispered.

Closing the distance between them, Peeta placed a hand on Katniss's shoulder. "Promise me something?"

Katniss's round, surprised eyes found his. "What?"

"Just promise me you'll be careful, that you won't take any unnecessary risks." Slowly, he brought his hand down to her arm and gave her a gentle squeeze. "And that you'll tell me if you ever need-,"

Squaring her shoulders, she glowered at him. "Peeta! I don't need you to take care of me. I'm perfectly capable of watching over-,"

"I know you are," he interrupted, "but we're not 11 anymore, Katniss, and you don't have to do everything on your own." His pleading eyes found hers. "Please, promise me."

Katniss pressed her lips together and scowled. She wanted to argue, to stomp her foot and leave the room with an annoyed huff, but she couldn't. As much as she hated relying on others, she knew she couldn't afford to be stubborn and proud.

Alone, she had struggled, but thanks to her partnership with Gale and her arrangement with Peeta she could now breathe easy during the cold winter months.

In that moment, trapped in the gaze of Peeta's deep blue eyes, she finally understood. Peeta was only trying to protect her.

The thought wrapped around her like a comforting blanket and, for a moment, she wished she could tell him that she'd do anything to protect him too.

With a dramatic roll of her eyes, Katniss grumbled, "Fine, I promise."

XXXXX

Haymitch's house was a mess.

Sidestepping over piles of unwashed clothes and empty bottles, Peeta made his way through the hallway guided by the weak light coming from his mentor's living room.

Haymitch was lying on the couch with an arm draped over his eyes and a white liquor bottle clutched against his chest.

The bottle was still full.

Good, Peeta thought, he hasn't started drinking yet.

Eager to escape the stench of misery and decay which clung to the walls, Peeta asked, "Have you heard?"

Haymitch nodded. Sluggishly, he sat up and pointed the mouth of his bottle to the nearest wall where a small signal scrambler flashed green indicating it was safe to talk.

Raising a curious eyebrow, Haymitch asked, "How did you hear?"

Peeta shrugged. "I have my sources."

An amused chuckle escaped Haymitch's throat. "The little gardener?"

Peeta clenched his jaw. Katniss's visits weren't a secret. He knew Haymitch had seen her coming and going more than once, but he hated the little nickname. Reluctantly, he admitted, "Yeah. She was going over to Cray's when she saw them."

Haymitch's brows shot up. "She was visiting Cray?"

"Not for that!" Peeta growled. Everybody knew Cray had a reputation for sleeping with Seam girls who were desperate enough to give themselves over for money. Fortunately, Katniss had never sunk so low. "Her and her partner trade with him sometimes."

Satisfied, Haymitch stretched his legs by propping them up on the coffee table. "What did she see?"

"Not much. She just heard the new Head organizing his troops. She said there were at least a hundred of them and that they were very disciplined."

Haymitch looked down at the bottle in his hand. He could feel a headache coming, and he desperately wanted to get ahead of it with another drink, but he had to deal with the boy first. "Yeah. They come from District 2, fresh from the academy."

"And their boss?"

"His name is Thread," Haymitch said. "I don't know much about him, but I think he was stationed in District 11 for a while."

Although he was sure he had already guessed the answer, Peeta still asked, "And why is he here?"

Sensing the end of their conversation, Haymitch pulled the cork off his bottle. "To make sure we behave."

Peeta sighed. He knew his mentor was only trying to protect him, but he was getting tired of the slow trickle of information. "Has something happened?"

Slowly, Haymitch shook his head no. "District 12 is too small and too disorganized, we're not a threat. I think the new peacekeepers are here to make sure we stay that way."

A sense of unease settled deep within Peeta's bones. Time and again, people dismissed Twelve's importance. They talked about the mining district as if it were too weak and inconsequential to matter, but its people were struggling and suffering just as much as everyone else.

A flash of red, hot anger coursed through his veins at the thought that the rebellion could be moving ahead without them, and that the only change they'd see would be the tightening of the Capitol's fist around their throats.

Focusing all his annoyance at the man sitting across from him, Peeta asked, "Will you let me know if anything changes?"

Haymitch didn't even flinch. "Sure thing, Kid. I'll keep you posted," he said before bringing the bottle to his lips.

AN: I want to thank the lovely AlwaysEverlark for the beautiful banner she made for this story.

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The Hunger Games Trilogy is the property of Suzanne Collins. No money was made off of the creation of this fanwork.