"Who's taking first watch?" Johanna asks as she walks toward the tree line where Peeta and I at with Rue. Finnick is already sleeping a little further down from us. I glance over at Peeta as I hold Rue closer to me, unready to let go of her.
"Katniss and I will," Peeta volunteers us. Johanna just nods as she walks to where Finnick is laying and lays down herself. Beetee is along the shore, drawing in the sand with a branch.
I watch his move as he draws and glance down at Rue, her eyes have since closed, and I watch her scrunch her nose up as her little chest rises and falls with each breath. Peeta wraps an arm around me and turns his attention to her too. I know that this doesn't stay like this, us as a happy family. Eventually someone will turn and the bloodbath from the cornucopia will resume, with Rue in the middle. The only way she gets home is if Peeta or I make it out of here, one of us has to live.
"She's asleep," he looks up at me, "want me to lay her down?"
"No. I want to hold her for a while. But we need to talk."
"About what?" He adjusts his position, so he is making eye contact with me.
"Us… Rue."
"Katniss, we're a family now, that isn't going to change even when…"
"No. I mean when when one of us goes home. One of us has to live and be there has for Rose. My mom will help with her, and so will Prim, but only one of us is leaving this arena. One of us has to. We have to get her out of here Peeta."
"I know Katniss. But there is no way to plan for that. At the end of the day, we don't know which one of us will make it out of here, but I'm going to do everything I can to make sure it's you. But I also know you're going to do everything you can to make sure it's not me. One of us has to give in Katniss and it won't be me. I love you and I love Rue."
"I love you more. " I force a smile, trying to reassure him, and because I don't know what else to say to him. He knows as well as I do that neither of us will stop fighting.
"If you say so," he smiles and laughs a little, "I'm going to wash off, I'll be back in a little bit."
"Be careful," He kissing me softly as he stands.
"No peeking," he says jokingly as he walks toward the water.
I look out across the water and at the jungle surrounding us, if we stayed here, we would be safe. As safe as possible in the arena anyway. I look back toward the shoreline, where Peeta's wetsuit now lays in a pile in the sand. I can see his head just above the water. All the cameras in the arena are probably on Peeta now. I glance toward the makeshift sleeping area that Finnick had set up, Beetee had now joined them. I stand, walking over and laying Rue on her small spot. One of the many gifts that had been sent in after her birth was the small carrier that doubled as a bassinet, which had proved useful for her to sleep when we were in one place. She stays asleep and I make my way toward the water, hearing Gale's voice in my head, reminding me that all they want is a good show.
I walk into the water, just enough to cover my feet and take a deep breath. I let my wetsuit fall down my shoulders and toss it back to where Peeta's remains in the sand. Everyone with us was still asleep. I walk out further until I'm even with him, wrapping an arm around his waist and kissing his neck. He turns to face me, a look of surprise and awe mix on his face as he leans into me, placing a soft kiss on my lips. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me closer to him. I take the opportunity to reach between us and his eyes meet mine.
"You just had Rue…" He trails off, trying not to say the word no.
I know. That's not my plan."
He looks at me confused, until I pull him closer to the shore, so that I can sink to my knees without being forced to remain under water. His hands find my hair as I take him into my mouth. Give them a good show, well I hope they're watching.
Afterwards he leads me back to the shore and helps me get back into the suit before pulling his on. We walk hand in hand over to where everyone remains sleeping. Finnick should be about ready to take watch now. Peeta looks down at him and back to me.
"You want to wake him," I ask.
"Sure," Peeta leans down and shakes Finnick carefully, stepping back before he fully wakes.
"What," Finnick said with his voice groggy.
"It's your turn to take watch."
"Okay. Who's after me?"
"Johanna." He nods, yawning as he stands.
Peeta and I walk over to Rue and lay down beside her bassinet, him holding me close. We say our goodnights as I fall asleep quickly, my head on Peeta's chest and the sound of his heart beating the last thing I hear before sleep.
I wake up to my body moving, being pushed toward the side and someone trying to slip out from under me. I open my eyes, seeing Peeta getting up and trying to get around me.
"Where are you going?" I ask sitting up and looking at him.
"I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep. I'm just stretching my legs." I can tell he's lying.
"Where are you going?"
"I want to talk to Beetee, then I'll be back, promise."
"What time is it?"
"About six I think," I stand up and he sighs, "I will be right back, I promise."
"I want to get Rose," I lean down, picking her up and trying not to wake her. She opens her eyes despite my best effort. "Hi baby girl."
I walk toward the edge of the water with her and sit, letting my feet touch the water and begin to feed her. I watch Peeta as he has his exchange with Beetee. There is more drawing in the sand, I know they must be coming up with some type of plan, but I don't know what. He walks back over to us as the sun rises. I finish with feeding Rue and place her beside me, changing her diaper and picking up back up. Peeta reaches for her, and I reluctantly hand her over.
"We're going to go over everything will Finnick and Johanna get up," Peeta tells me as he places Rue on his shoulder, rubbing her back.
The sun rises quicker than usual and before long, Finnick and Johanna come over to join us. Beetee announces that he has a plan and looks up at us.
"I'm sure we're all in agreement, the next step is to kill the remaining careers. So if you were the careers, where would you feel safest?"
"The beach," Peeta volunteers the information, clearly this is what they were talking about earlier.
"So then why aren't they here?"
"Because we are. We claimed it." Johanna answers this time.
"And if we left, they would come," Finnick finishes what Beetee must be implying.
"Or stay hidden in the tree line," Peeta answers again.
"Which in four hours will be soaked by the wave at ten," Beetee makes another point, "and what happens at midnight?"
"Lightening strikes that tree," I think I understand where he's trying to go with this, especially since he electrocuted tributes in his game.
"Here's what I propose. We leave the beach around dusk, and we head toward the tree. This will draw the careers out. Prior to midnight, after the noon strike, we run this wire from the tree into the salt water, which is very conductive. Anyone in the water or on the damp sand will be electrocuted."
"How do we know the wire won't just burn up?" Johanna asks the question we're all thinking.
"Because I invented it."
"And what about us? Where will we be when this happens?" Finnick asks this before I have the chance to.
"We'll be far enough into the jungle to be safe." Beetee assures us.
"But unless the careers are near the water, they'll be safe too," I don't understand how he thinks this will work. If we're safe in the jungle, the careers will be too.
"But all the seafood will be cooked, we will lose it as a food source."
"Yes, but there are other things to eat in the jungle. You've found some, right Katniss?" Beetee looks at me for an answer."
"Yeah, there's some fruit and the rats."
"Then I don't foresee us losing the food source to be an issue. But the decision is up to the four of you since it will require all of us."
"Why not? If it works, there's a decent chance it will kill the careers. If it fails, it kills the seafood, and they lose it as food source too," I shrug. This plan is currently the only one we have.
"Katniss is right. I say we try it," Peeta agrees and slowly Johanna and Finnick offer their support too.
This has now become our plan. Knowing how Beetee electrocuted the tributes in his game, it's no surprise this is his idea to take out the careers. The only problem with this plan is that it leaves us against each other. Peeta and I will be with the group and one of them will shoot first. Our plan has to be different; we have to leave. I will not let him be caught in the crossfire that will happen tonight.