#loveinpanem

[hutchhitched]

Too Familiar (Part 2)

For those of you who’ve asked, it’s finally here! Part 2 of my contribution for @loveinpanem‘s Candle for the Caribbean. Thank you to all who contributed to the fundraiser and expressed interest in this story. Trigger warning: mature themes (including infidelity) in this chapter. The first chapter of this story can be found here.

 Monday morning came much too soon, and Katniss considered calling in sick before dragging herself out of bed and climbing into the shower. Peeta had tried to contact her a few times after their fight on Friday night, but she wasn’t having any of it and finally turned off her phone for the entirety of Saturday and Sunday. Unfortunately, she knew she’d have to see him that day at work. There wasn’t any way to avoid running into him.

 She took care with her appearance. If she didn’t, she knew Johanna and Annie would notice she looked withdrawn and peaked. She wove her hair into an elaborate braid she usually saved for special occasions and selected a muted orange sweater that highlighted her gray eyes. She was halfway to work before she realized she’d subconsciously chosen to adorn herself in Peeta’s favorite color.

I said your name instead of hers.

I said your name.

Your name.

Peeta’s confession echoed in her ears as she bumped against others on the subway. She gritted her teeth and clenched her eyes shut and tried to pretend her heart wasn’t breaking.

 At her stop, she fought through the crowd and up the stairs. She bypassed her usual morning coffee for fear she’d run into Peeta waiting for her inside the shop and took the stairs to her office instead of the elevator. She needed a few more minutes before she was willing to face him. Huffing slightly, she took a deep breath and opened the door. She deliberately kept her eyes forward as she passed the doorway to his bank of cubicles and heaved a sigh of relief when she managed to slip into her chair without anyone stopping her. She worked feverishly, hoping no one would bother her if she kept her eyes on her desk.

 Annie nudged her at noon and asked quietly if she wanted to join the others for lunch, but Katniss shook her head. She had plans to eat in the small park behind the building and steer clear any of the local eating joints. It was one more way to avoid him. She wove her way downstairs and out the back entrance of the building. Selecting a park bench partly obscured by low branches, she sank onto it and sighed.

 “This sucks,” she breathed.

 “Worst Monday of my life.”

 “Holy shit, Peeta!” Katniss screeched. “Where the hell did you come from?”

 He gave her a sad half-smile and motioned to his left. “I was over there when you came out. I didn’t want to scare you or drive you away, so I didn’t say anything. You seemed like you wanted to be alone.”

 She snorted and studied her sandwich. “I don’t want to be alone.”

 “Neither do I,” he whispered and motioned to the space beside her. “Can I sit down?  Please?”

 “Why?” she asked, her voice wavering. “So you can say my name again?”

 “Kat, I’m so sorry.”

 “You should be.”

 “You could be a little more compassionate, you know. It’s not like your marriage is on the rocks. You’re not the one who might lose your kid before it’s even born. I didn’t ask for this.”

 “And you think I did?” she snapped, completely incredulous at his audacity. “You think I asked for my best friend to yell my name when his pregnant wife sucked his dick? You think I want to be the other woman when I don’t even get the benefits of it?”

 “Benefits of it? What—?” Peeta narrowed his eyes. “Wait. You want the benefits?”

 She froze, her heart pounding hard in her chest. “I’m not going to dignify that with an answer.”

 “Katniss…”

 “Nope! Don’t go there.”

 “Katniss—”

 “We’re not happening,” she snapped and stood abruptly. “Don’t get some fantasy that you and I can be together if Madge decides to leave you. I’m not your safety net. Work it out with your wife.”

 “Katniss!” he shouted at her retreating back, but she was already back inside the building and headed up to her cubicle before he could follow.

 “Where’s the stud?”

 “Shut up, Johanna,” Katniss snapped and worked through the papers on her desk. She entered column after column of data until 4:45. At precisely fifteen minutes before she knew Peeta would leave his desk, she shut down her computer, grabbed her purse, and slipped down the stairs to the street below. She was halfway home before her phone lit up with a series of messages. Apparently, he’d noticed she left early.

 She scrolled through her phone, but nothing he’d written made her feel any better about the gulf that had opened between them. How could it have only been three days since the world spiraled out of control?

The days passed slowly without him. She got better at avoiding him, and Johanna and Annie refrained from making any comments about his absence, although Annie did apologize for what had happened over drinks. Peeta continued to talk to her occasionally, but they kept it light, impersonal, and extremely professional. His eyes lost their natural luster, and she dropped a few pounds from her already lean frame bringing her lunch instead of joining him at their local haunts. She tortured herself thinking about Madge’s lips wrapped around her husband’s cock and Peeta gripping her hair and thrusting into her mouth as she blew him. She woke from nightmares about dying alone as Peeta and Madge built a family with wide smiles and perfect vacations and a big house. She’d almost decided to get a cat, a big, fluffy orange one she’d name Buttercup, to keep her company when things finally broke.

 The day started out poorly with a downpour and a soggy commute, but that didn’t compare to shock of being called into a meeting with her boss. Haymitch gazed at her mutely across the desk until a light knock sounded at the door, and he called for the person to enter. Katniss jumped when Peeta sank down in the chair next to her and glanced at her with a wry smile before turning his attention to their boss.

 “Everdeen, Mellark, I’ve got a project I need some help with, and I think you two are the team to make it happen,” Haymitch barked gruffly. “It’s going to mean some overtime for you both, which I think you can appreciate with a bundle of joy on the way for you, boy, and…well, whatever it is you do with your time.”

 Katniss blinked at him, too humiliated to respond. She hadn’t realized her empty social life was so apparent at work.

 “You two are my stars,” he continued, “and you seem to get along well. I’m sure you can do it.”

 “Mr. Abernathy, I’m not sure this is the best plan,” Peeta ventured. “I’ve got a lot going on at home, and Katniss is—”

 “—happy to have the work,” she insisted and glared at her co-worker. “What do you need from us?”

 She ignored Peeta’s look of surprise and concentrated on what the job entailed. Minutes later, she and Peeta were outside Abernathy’s office, and he was grinning at her with that familiar lopsided grin she’d missed so much.

 “Happy to have the work, huh?” Peeta teased. “I’m happy to have an excuse to work with you.”

 “That’s not what this is about,” she insisted and headed back to her desk.

 “Are you sure? No way to avoid me now, sweetheart. Sounds like we’ll have several hours of close contact now.”

 “Don’t call me sweetheart, Peeta. I need the money, and I’m not going to allow this…thing between us to cost me an opportunity for overtime. Maybe I can finally go on that vacation to Puerto Rico I always said I’d take once I turned thirty. Not getting any younger, am I?”

 “Hey,” he said softly and stopped her with his hand on her arm. “I’m sorry for teasing. I’m really glad you said yes. We do work well together, and I’m tired of us trying to avoid each other. Can we start over? Be friends again? Maybe if I stopped acting so wounded we could have a real shot at it. I miss you, Kat.”

 Heat radiated from his palm, and goosebumps rose on her skin underneath his loose grasp. It was unfair how easily he could tempt her. “I miss you too, Mellark.”

 “I knew you couldn’t resist me.” His eyes twinkled as he grinned at her, and she gulped as her stomach clenched.

 “I’m going to regret this.”

 Peeta narrowed his eyes and cocked his head. A shy smile with a hint of sweetness tickled the side of his mouth. His voice felt like melted chocolate and velvet when he asked, “You’re going to regret what?”

 “Come over,” she sighed. “This project is going to take forever, and I’m too tired to stay here or go out. I’m not going near Madge, so my place is the only choice.”

 “That sounds…cozy.”

 “Don’t get any ideas,” she snapped. “This is for work.”

 “Of course it is,” he agreed softly. “I’ll meet you at your place at 6:30. I need to stop by home first.”

 “Yes, your daily blowjob awaits.”

 “Katniss—”

 “No worries. I’ll get my date with my vibrator done before you get there.”

 She almost felt sorry for him as she walked back to her desk. She ignored Johanna and Annie’s questioning looks and spent the day working her caseload. At five, she grabbed her bag and headed for the elevator. Peeta’s shocked expression from earlier played before her as she caught the subway home and jostled against her fellow commuters. As she entered her apartment, she tossed her jacket on the couch and headed to the bedroom to change. Slipping out of her work clothes, she chose a comfortable cotton button down and a pair of well-worn jeans.

 “Shouldn’t be too tempting for him,” she muttered and crossed to her bedside table to plug in her cell phone. She plopped onto the bed and her eyes instinctively glanced at the drawer in her nightstand. She’d been joking when she said it, more intent on irritating him than being truthful, but frustration nipped at her. She had time. It had been a couple of weeks since she’d even thought about it, too ashamed of the situation with her best friend to admit she usually imagined him when she masturbated.

 “Fuck it,” she grunted and unzipped her pants, grabbed her vibrator, and lay back on her bed.

 The familiar buzz soothed her as she slid the plastic between her legs. Her eyes fluttered closed as she glanced over her clit. Finding a rhythm, she pushed and circled and rubbed until her heartrate increased and her arousal eased the friction. In no time, small jolts of pleasure radiated out through her limbs.

 “Yessssssss…. Right there,” she gasped to the empty room, but she couldn’t block out the image of sparkling blue eyes and ashy blonde curls hovering over her. “Peeta…”

 Katniss shoved aside the twinge of guilt lurking beneath her enjoyment and turned up the speed. Her hips began to thrust of their own accord, and she pressed harder against her clit before teasing her entrance. She turned her head to the side and bit her lip.

 “Oh, fuck,” she groaned. “Yeah. Harder. Go harder, Peeta.”

 She kicked at the mattress, irritated by her jeans restricting her at the knees. With her free hand, she traced her stomach under her shirt. She reached into the nightstand drawer and fumbled until she found the small bottle of lube. Clenching her legs together to hold her vibrator in place, she squirted a small dab into her hand before slathering it in her slit and on the silicon.

 “Touch me,” she hissed into the air and closed her eyes. She imagined his hands caressing her, kneading her skin, and massaging her muscles. “Inside…please.”

 She spread her legs wider and circled her clit with her middle finger as she slid her vibrator into her pussy. She gasped and squirmed as it filled her, pulsating and insistent. Sparks of desire joined to fuel a burning sensation she hadn’t felt in weeks. As her mood lifted and her breaths grew shorter, she worked herself faster and faster until she tightened like a spring.

 “Peeta, baby. I need to come. Make me come.”

 She flicked the dial to the highest speed, and it was only a few more moments before her orgasm flashed through her. She squealed and jerked as her muscles clenched and released in a series of spasms. Peeta’s blue eyes and full lips hovered in her mind as she came and then came again.

 “Shit, yes! Ohmigod. So hot, Peeta.”

 She continued to mumble as heat flooded her. She was on fire, burning with the light of a thousand suns, as she chased her climax. Her legs shook, and she moaned thankfully as her hands finally fell to her sides.

 It was a while, probably a full minute before she realized the vibrator continued to pulse between her legs, and she reached down to turn it off. With a satisfied groan, she pulled it free and wiped it clean before stashing it back in her drawer. Sighing, she reveled in her release before eventually rolling from the bed, redressing, and straightening her braid.

 Her euphoria passed much too soon, and shame rushed in to replace what had felt so good only a few minutes before.

 “Fuck,” she cursed as she stumbled to the bathroom and washed her hands. “I just jacked off to fantasies of my best friend. My married best friend. Who’s about to be a father.” She shook her head and glared at herself, but she couldn’t help the sparkle in her eye or the limpness in her arms. It felt amazing, and she couldn’t quite be disgusted with herself when this was all she had.

 She was still glowing when the doorbell rang a half hour later. Hyper aware of her slightly mussed hair and flushed face, she opened the door to find Peeta standing there. His eyes held a hint of hope mixed with caution, and he seemed relieved when she waved him inside and to the kitchen table where she’d set up a workspace.

 “I haven’t been here for a while,” he murmured. “I like the changes.”

 She glanced at the couch and bit her lip to hid the smile lurking there. She’d added a couple of throw pillows for a pop of color and a few pictures she’d taken of sunsets when she was home visiting her sister a few months prior. They were an homage to him, she realized now, but she shoved that from her mind. They needed to work, and she didn’t need to think about why she’d decorated her apartment with her best friend in mind.

 “How was your blowjob?” she asked bluntly and sat at the table.

 He flushed and settled into the chair next to her. She didn’t miss that he adjusted himself discreetly before answering, “Katniss, I’m sorry, but maybe that’s not the most appropriate topic considering the mess we’re in.”

 “Probably not,” she retorted, “but I’d like to know your head’s in the game instead of still back at your house in your wife’s mouth.”

 He coughed and stared miserably at the pile of papers in front of him. “It was fine,” he admitted quietly. “Good, I mean. Got the job done.”

 “Excellent. Just excellent. My vibrator did the same. Multiple orgasms before you got here. Let’s work, shall we?”

 “Katniss—”

 “Can you hand me the file for Glimmer Johnson? Worst hooker name ever, by the way,” she joked forcefully, determined not to allow their conversation to stray from the task at hand. She’d gotten in her digs, tortured him enough. Now it was time to work. Maybe if they did that, they could slip back into their familiar place.

 Too familiar, she told herself, but then shook it off. This was the new normal of their relationship, and she was just going to have to get used to it.

 Two hours later, they were both bleary-eyed as they sorted through case after case. They argued and bantered about each one in an attempt to find solutions for the problems each represented. Which kids needed foster homes? Why did one mother deserve to keep her children while another didn’t? Where were the fathers, and why were only some of them interested in keeping up with their progeny?

 “I swear I’m going to be a better dad than this,” Peeta muttered as he scanned images of a young girl named Clove with bruises on her arms and neck. “Child abuse is sick. Who beats a kid?”

 “You’re going to be a great father, and you know it,” she mumbled as she shook her head. “Dedicated. Loving. Present.”

 “Present… That’s the goal, right?”

 She glanced up at him and frowned at his sad smile. He raised his eyes to hers, and she couldn’t look away. The agony she saw there broke her heart, and she couldn’t deny the hint of yearning and a tiny bit of lust that lingered in the depths. The war inside him between doing what was right and giving into his feelings for her was as obvious as the electricity sparking between them. For a spilt second, she imagined sweeping the papers onto the floor and using the surface for much more lurid purposes.

 He cleared his throat, and she blinked as the connection between them snapped. Flustered, she closed a file folder and pushed back from the table.

 “I should go.”

 She opened the refrigerator and stared into it. “You probably should. The wife’s waiting, and we got a lot done.”

 “It was really good to see you, Katniss. Outside the office, I mean. I’ve missed you so much the past few weeks.”

 She turned to find him standing close to her. His hands hung loosely at his sides, and hers itched to touch him. Silently, they reached for each other, and her cheek settled onto his chest as his arms wound around her back. She tugged him closer at the waist, and they stood encircled together for several moments before he pulled free.

 “I’ll see you tomorrow, Katniss.”

 She nodded, too overcome with emotion to react, and watched him cross to the door and slip through it. He glanced at her as he closed the door, and she fought hard to remain rooted instead of chasing after him and begging him to pick her over Madge.

 When she was sure he’d left, she crossed to the door and clicked the lock into place. Dazed, she walked to her bedroom and sank onto the bed. Blood sang in her veins, and she allowed herself to fantasize about what could have happened if he didn’t have someone to go home to; if he’d only waited until he met her to fall in love.

 Frustrated, she yanked open the nightstand drawer and kicked her jeans onto the floor. Deliberately, she pulled her vibrator out, and then reached further back to where she kept a few other toys. She needed this tonight—if only to get his face from her mind. She fell asleep to dreams of tangled limbs and hot mouths with roaming hands and probing fingers.

 The pattern continued over the next few weeks. Katniss spent her time at work focused and professionally distant, but on Tuesday and Thursday nights, Peeta came to her house to work on the files Haymitch gave them every week. The weirdness between them eased somewhat, and it seemed they fell back into their familiar patterns almost too easily.

 “I’m so hungry, Kat,” Peeta whined. “Can I grab something to eat?”

 “Sure. Whatever you want,” she grumbled as she wrote notes in Clove’s file.

 “Want something?”

 “Uh, yeah. Fruit,” she answered, distracted by the images of abuse before her on the table.

 A banana plunked down in front of her, and she worked hard to keep a grin from spreading across her face. Deliberately, she put down her pen, picked up the banana, and peeled it slowly. Without a word, she lifted it to her mouth and sucked the tip between her lips. Ignoring his discomfort and sudden silence, she licked the underside of the fruit with the tip of her tongue before biting off a huge chunk and moaning at the taste.

 “Katniss,” Peeta hissed, and she turned to look at him. He was speechless, stunned silent, as he watched her. She licked her lips deliberately, and he swallowed hard before moving his hand over his lap. She glanced down and fought to control a triumphal smile at what swelled there. He hadn’t lost his attraction for her any more than she had for him. Somehow, that made her happy.

 “Is Madge still into blowjobs?” she purred and took another bite of her snack.

 He shook his head, his eyes glazed as he watched her. “No,” he choked out in a tortured squeak. “Third trimester. Onto something new.”

 “Oh, yeah,” she answered and turned to face him squarely. She fiddled with her neckline and allowed it to dip lower to reveal what little cleavage she had. “What’s she into now?”

 “Nothing,” he gulped, and she grinned when his eyes darted to her chest. “At least nothing daily. I’m in a drought.”

 “Oh, that’s too bad, Peeta,” she offered sympathetically. “Are you taking care of things yourself?” He nodded, and she trailed her fingers down her torso. “I am too, you know. Every night. Sometimes when I get home from work. I did before you got here today. It feels so good.”

 He whimpered, but he didn’t say anything. He couldn’t tear his eyes from her, and she felt an inordinate amount of power as she teased him. It was so easy. Why should she feel guilty when he was the one with the pregnant wife at home? She’d sacrificed enough, she reasoned. She’d played by the rules her entire life, and look where it had gotten her. Sexually frustrated and in love with a man who wanted her the same way she wanted him. Yet, she was supposed to resist. She was supposed to say no to everything she desired just because he was too impatient to wait for what was right instead of what was good enough.

 “I think about you sometimes when I do it,” she admitted, her voice low and husky. “I think about your hands on me and the way you’d feel inside me.”

 “Shit yes,” he hissed, and she stood up and moved to stand a few inches from him.

 “I think about the way your mouth would cover me and how you’d whisper in my ear as you came inside me.”

 He gaped for a few seconds and then squirmed as she hovered over him. “You know I love you, Kat.”

 She stopped then, confused at his confession. Her heart soared and broke at the same time. Why did this have to be so hard? Why couldn’t he be available for something real and good instead of guilt and shame?

 “You what?”

 “I love you. I have for a long, long time. I’m… I don’t know how to stop, Katniss, but I love you, and I’m married to someone else. I’m going to be a father in a few weeks, and all I can think about is how to balance getting the nursery ready with how to keep from screaming your name when I jack off in the shower.” He bowed his head, and she rested her palms on his shoulders. “I want to be a good dad. My baby deserves that. But Katniss—”

 “But what?” she pled. “Tell me.”

 “I want you. So much.”

 “Peeta, I…” She didn’t know what to say, and he didn’t volunteer anything else. It took everything inside her to step away from him and blurt, “You need to leave.”

 He nodded and crossed to the door in only a few strides. She panicked when his hand grasped the doorknob, and she called his name. She threw herself at him, wrapping him in a tight hug, and he pulled her tightly against him. Their faces were centimeters apart, their lips almost touching. For several seconds they stood frozen, and then he dropped his arms and staggered back against the wall.

 “You see, Katniss? I want to kiss you so much, but I can’t. I can’t do it. I can’t do this.”

 She reached for him and nuzzled into his neck, breathing in his scent. His cologne had always been her weakness. She wasn’t sure what it was, but she always smelled cinnamon and herbs when she was near him.

 “You’re a good man, Peeta Mellark,” she whispered and kissed his neck. Then she released him and walked to her couch. By the time she was settled and reached for her remote, he was gone.

 She called into work the next day. She needed time to process what had happened between them, and she’d brought several files home. She spent the weekend alternating between berating herself and trying to justify her feelings toward her best friend. She raged against her life situation and grappled with the implications of having an affair.

 By Sunday evening, she was no closer to deciding than she had been on Thursday night. And then a knock sounded at her door. Tossing her braid over her shoulder, she crossed to the door and slid it open an inch.

 “Peeta! What are you doing here?” she exclaimed and threw the door open to usher him inside. He’d barely passed through the threshold when he caught her and pressed his mouth to hers.

 “Hmmpf,” she grunted as his lips devoured hers. They were velvety soft. And plump. And firm. And fucking delicious. His tongue swept into her mouth and tangled with hers. They both sighed and groaned and grunted as they kissed, desperate to both quell the tension between them and stoke it higher at the same time.

 “Katniss,” he moaned as his lips broke from hers and trailed down her check to her neck. He sucked at her pulse point, and she pressed her thighs together. His hands pulled her tighter against him by her ass, and she could feel him, rigid and throbbing, against her hip.

 “Close the door,” she gasped and stumbled backward to fall on the couch. He was on her in seconds, wrapping her legs around his waist and pressing into her center until she swore she’d come just from the pressure.

 “Tell me what you want,” he begged. “Let me make you happy. You deserve to be happy.”

 Unable to speak, she grabbed his hand and brought it to the waistline of her yoga pants. He fumbled for a few seconds, but then his hand dipped inside. She wasn’t wearing underwear, and he groaned when his long fingers slipped into the moisture between her legs. She jerked at the contact but had no power to resist.

 “Yeah. Oh yeah. Oh god!”

 “You like that?” he grunted as he circled her clit with his thumb. “Are you horny, Kat?”

 “Uh huh,” she mewled and pulsed her hips to gain friction.

 “Do you want my fingers inside you?”

 “Yeah…”

 “Are you sure?” he teased as he licked her earlobe.

 “Yes, I’m sure,” she moaned. “Oh fuck, Peeta.”

 Too turned on to speak, she closed her eyes as his fingers plundered her. He dipped his middle finger inside her, swirled it against her walls, and then pulled it out. He pressed her nub with his thumb until she bucked against him, and then he slid his finger back inside. She gyrated under him, impatient and desperate for a release, but he wouldn’t give it to her. Instead, he tortured her with his hand as his mouth attacked her neck greedily.

 She widened her legs, and he added another finger inside, causing her to dig her fingers into his back. He grunted dirty words against her chest as he finger-fucked her. Frantic, she shoved her hands into the front of his jeans and brushed against his cock. He groaned at the contact. Emboldened, she worked her fingers until she could grasp him. The feel of his turgid dick against her skin felt too good, and she bit his shoulder as she bucked against him.

 “Fuck, Katniss. Fuck…” Peeta grunted her name repeatedly and curled his fingers inside her. She screamed and gripped him tighter. “I’m gonna come. I’m gonna come, baby.”

 “Peeta! Yes! Don’t stop!”

 “Kat! Christ!” he yelped, and his body shook with the force of his orgasm. Warmth flooded her fingers, and she kept pumping him, lubing him with his own cum. He finally worked her left breast free and bit her nipple. The flash of pain triggered her own orgasm, and she thrashed under him as he drove her to the edge. She begged him to stop, but she didn’t want him to. She felt like an animal in heat, rubbing against his hand and arm until she was sure she’d come a second time.

 She was almost there when he kissed her and stopped moving. Falling next to her, he grunted, “Cramp. Shit.”

 The elastic of her waistband slapped against her stomach as he freed his hand and flexed it. She could see moisture on his fingers, and she whined softly when she realized it was hers. His cum was all over her hand, and she held it aloft, unsure what to do with it. He watched her with hooded eyes that darkened further when she licked her index finger.

 “That is so fucking hot,” he whispered, wide-eyed as she wiped her hand clean on her shirt. “Dirty girl.”

 “Let me lick your hand too,” she demanded, and he lifted his fingers to her mouth. She sucked on his middle finger, and the tangy taste of her mixed with the bite of his flavor mixed in her mouth.

 “Fuck me,” he groaned and kissed her again. “Are you still turned on?”

 She nodded, and he groaned a second time. He slid down to the floor and kneeled in front of her. Pulling her to the edge of the couch, he yanked her leggings down around her ankles and spread her open. Before she could comprehend what he was doing, he dropped his head and left her speechless.

 His mouth was magic. That’s all she could fathom as he feasted on her. She begged him to stop at the same time she tugged him closer, but he was undeterred. His tongue and lips and teeth and…oh god, everything…

 Katniss threw her head back and concentrated on what he was doing to her. The sounds, the smell, the feel…all of it together created an entirely erotic experience that made her want to forsake everything if it could be her life. She ground against him until she knew she couldn’t take any more. Bowing tightly, she crested. And then again. And then once more. Exhausted and limp, she panted as he licked her clean. When he was done, he kissed her deeply, and she relished the moisture he transferred to her.

 “We shouldn’t have done that,” she said weakly.

 Peeta kissed her inner thighs with soft brushes of his lips, and then answered, “Probably not, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to happen again.”

 “Really?” Incredulous, she stared at him, her cheeks flaming and her heart pounding with hope and dread.

 “Unless you say no.”

 “I’m not going to say no.”

 He smiled at her, and she couldn’t help but grin back. She loved his man, and he loved her. She hadn’t come without the help of her vibrator in over a year until Peeta had put his hands and mouth on her. She wanted this release. She craved it and needed it.

 “I’ve got to clean up,” he announced and pulled away from her reluctantly. She motioned to the bathroom and hurried to pull her pants on properly before he returned. When he did, he sat next to her on the couch and reached for her hand. Threading his fingers through hers, he held onto her for several minutes before she ventured her thoughts.

 “You don’t have to feel guilty.”

 He chuckled, but she could tell it wasn’t funny to him. “You’re right,” he mumbled. “I just ate out a woman who isn’t my wife, but at least I didn’t stick my dick inside her, right?”

 “Technically, yes,” she reasoned. “I mean, what we did isn’t the best option, but we didn’t actually have sex. I mean, not the kind that results in any kind of…uh…problem.”

 “Getting two women pregnant at the same time would be kind of horrible. But we didn’t do that.”

 “Right.”

 “So, we could, I don’t know…”

 “Keep it to oral,” she suggested. “I know you like that.”

 “I do miss the second trimester blowjobs,” he joked. “She never liked them before, and I expect they’ll never happen again.”

 “They could be our thing now,” she offered and swallowed down the bubble of guilt roiling in her gut. “I’ve been told I’m pretty good at them.”

 “The baby—he’s due in eight weeks.”

 “It’s a he? You’re having a son?” Despite the situation, she couldn’t help being excited for him. She knew Peeta had always wanted a son.

 He nodded and glanced at her before dropping his head in his hands.

 “Fuck, what am I doing? I’m going to be a father, and all I want is your legs wrapped around my neck as I fuck you with my tongue.” His mask of anguish made her want to cry, but his words made her want him in her bed.

 “You have eight weeks,” she said quietly. “Eight weeks. Maybe you just need to get me out of your system.”

 He snorted and pulled her against him. “I won’t ever get over you,” he murmured as he kissed her temple, “but there’s no way I can walk away from you.”

 “So, Tuesday night?”

 “Tuesday night,” he agreed. “I’ll see you then. I need to get home before Madge…”

 She leaned over to kiss him and stared into his eyes. “Good night, Peeta. Thanks for coming.”

 “Thanks for making me come,” he teased and kissed the tip of her nose. “See you in the office tomorrow. I’ll bring coffee.”

 “You know how I like it.”

 “I do now,” he threw over his shoulder as he left. When the door closed behind him, she sighed contentedly and wriggled down into the couch. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to relive Peeta’s visit, every caress, kiss, and lick. The sounds he made against her skin when he came, the feel of his tongue inside her, the taste of her on his lips… Deciding against taking a shower so she could smell him on her as she slept, she went to bed and pushed aside the guilt she felt when she imagined him lying next to his very pregnant wife.

 Peeta’s appearance at her desk with coffee the next morning resulted in raised eyebrows from both Annie and Johanna, but Katniss didn’t acknowledge their questioning looks. Peeta’s visit the previous night broke through all the tension that had emerged between them since she’d realized he was interested in her. Peeta sent her several suggestive messages throughout the day, and they returned to Sae’s Deli for lunch before passing the afternoon with stolen glances and dirty texts.

 The next day, Johanna followed her to the bathroom and cornered her before she could leave.

 “So, you’re going to go for it, huh?”

 “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Katniss insisted. “Excuse me, I need to go to the restroom.”

 “Oh, come on, Brainless. Anybody with two eyes can see the tension between you two. You’ve been avoiding each other for weeks, and now you’re thick as thieves again?” Johanna tugged at her short, spiky hair. “You’re going to do him, aren’t you?”

 “Johanna, the only thing I’m going to do right now is piss.”

 “I don’t believe you.”

 “Sucks for you then. Get the hell away from me.” With that, Katniss pushed past her co-worker and locked herself in the stall.

 Only a few more hours, and then Peeta will be at my place.

 After what had happened Sunday night, she couldn’t wait to see what else his mouth could do.

[florence68blog]

The Buzz Around Town

This story is my contribution for “A Candle for the Caribbean“ - Charity anthology benefiting the victims of Hurricane Maria. Thanks to Team @loveinpanem for organizing this important initiative.

I especially would like to thank @titaniasfics for tolerating my loose definition of Deadline.

Here on AO3

Teen boys  can be pretty dumb, especially when they want to be cool. One stupid statement that she overheard was enough to destroy everything. Years later they meet again. She's unforgiving. And so out of his league. But a man in love can always hope...

[shesasurvivor]

SSS: Cosa Nostra

To promote @loveinpanem‘s A Candle for the Caribbean charity drive aimed to help those who suffered from the hurricanes in the Caribbean islands, I’m posting a Six Sentence Sunday for the story I’m contributing, Cosa Nostra. It’s a 1950′s historical AU set in mob-run Las Vegas, in which Katniss is a singer for The Mockingjay Hotel and Casino, and Peeta is an accountant plant for the FBI, looking to catch the owners of the hotel for any crimes. Trouble arises when these two fall for each other. Thanks to @gentlemama for editing/beta work, and of course to @beanfromdistrict7 for helping devise the concept, and @bigbigbigday006 for pre-reading and bouncing ideas off of.

Today I’m also debuting the amazing banner that @akai-echo created for the story! 

---

“Wait! I didn’t mean to insult you. I promise. Please come back,” he pleads. I don’t know why, but I stop, right at the base of the ladder. But I don’t turn back. “I was just teasing you,” he continues.

I spin around and glare at him. “You don’t know me well enough to tease me,” I spit.

He looks taken aback as he thinks this over. Then he swims over so that he’s directly in front of me, a mere matter of inches away from my body. Why is he so close?

“You’re right,” he says. “I’m sorry. I guess I couldn’t help myself.”

Our eyes lock. A million responses must run through my mind, but not a single one comes out. Instead, I engage in this silent impasse as we each size the other up, working something out, but I don’t know what it is. But now that he’s right in front of me, I realize how tall he is, how broad his shoulders are. He’s so close that even in the darkness, I can see the blond hair on his chest that reflects off the light coming from inside the hotel. I realize my back is pressed solidly against the ladder; my breath is hitched in my throat. Something about him terrifies me, yet I know I’m not in any danger.

“Good night,” I mutter curtly, then turn and climb swiftly out of the pool.

[louezem]

This looks amazing on my Kindle!  Congratulations to all who contributed and worked on pulling this together - you should be very proud. :)  I am looking forward to reading each and every contribution.

[katnissdoesnotfollowback]

A Candle for the Caribbean: Contribution Preview

If you've not yet heard, the amazing ladies at @loveinpanem are organizing a charity anthology to benefit the areas hit hard by Hurricane Maria. If you are able, any and all donations are welcome. In exchange, you'll have access to plenty of wonderful fanfic. This year alone, I've been in the paths of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Nate. I'm fortunate enough that all I had deal with is a lot of wind and rain, and a few tornado warnings. Even that was terrifying. It is a tragedy that others are still dealing with no power or access to water or decent medical care, to say nothing of the years it will take to rebuild. Whatever you can contribute will be so welcome!

Here's a small preview of what I plan on contributing to the anthology

--------------------------------

Let's Hurt Tonight:

So many friends in these pages, she thinks fondly as she flips between Madge and one of Peeta’s friends from town. Running a palm over Finnick’s face, despair threatens to sink her below the depths. It’s only when Peeta’s hand covers hers that she realizes she’s frozen in place.

“Here,” he murmurs and she moves her hand so he can place the picture of Finnick’s son on the already crammed full page. He shifts it to another spot when it covers some of the words in his first choice. But the second choice is just as bad. Katniss snorts and then they’re both laughing.

“Let’s just make a new page,” Katniss suggests when they manage to stop. “We’ll put him right behind Finnick.”

It becomes a pattern. More infant faces join the pages of the book, a story of living life. Growing again in the face of devastation. They're not the only ones searching for ways to make life good again.

[litlifelover]

Six Sentence Sunday - Smitten With You

It's sneak-peek-time! :)

This is from my story for A Candle For The Caribbean charity anthology. 

I'm finished with it, and already sent it to betaing. So therefore this couple of sentences are totally in their "raw form" and all mistakes are mine. 

Title is still up to change, it gives me a headache thinking of something, seriously. 

Please, if you want to read some wonderful stories from different fandoms, even a couple original works, and at the same time support a good cause, please consider to donate! All details about the charity can be found on @loveinpanem's blog.

Okay, that's it. Hope you like the very short sneak-peek. Hugs & Kisses!

Katniss first discovered Mellark's Bakery & Bistro when Prim suggested to grab lunch there. The Everdeen Sisters grew up knowing about Ronan Mellark's bakery on Merchant Street corner First, but Katniss didn't know that the youngest son expanded it. She instantly fell in love with the cheese buns and the Penne al salmone.

And with it's owner.

It's ridiculous, really. Katniss is happy with her life and this stupid crush she has on Peeta doesn't fit into it. Also because it's very one-sided. If she hadn't known it before tonight, his very blond, very pretty date would've made that point clear.

[thegirlfromoverthepond]

Hurricane Force 5

Hey there :)

Here’s the start of a fic i’m writing for @loveinpanem‘s A Candle For the Carribbean.

Unbetaed, and subject to change.

------

Peeta was exhausted.

Or rather, he was beyond exhaustion.

He wished he could find solace in the landscape in front of him. The endless blue of the sea, marked here and there with little flakes of white, meeting the sky, in a never ending palette of blues. It would be breathtaking if he could take his mind of the disaster they had created.

That wasn’t a reason enough to stop, though. There were still countless persons to find and help, tons of rubble to clean, so many things to do in so little time.

Hopefully there were still persons they could save too.

He swiped the sweat from his forehead, before securing his security helmet back on, grabbing a sip of water from his bottle, then turned back.

Instead of rows of white buildings covered with pink tiles were now broken stones, torn windows frames, fallen trees, crashed cars. Everywhere, despair, sadness, mixed in the remnants of the island.

[lollercakesff]

5 Winds

Here’s a little preview for @loveinpanem ‘s A Candle for the Caribbean: A Charity Anthology - If you want to donate to get in on this amazing effort, check this out!

She was exhausted. Mentally. Physically.

She’d been in Haiti for little over a week but had barely slept - the shelter was too crowded and there were so many people to help that she didn’t see the point in trying to sleep.

But now she knew she had to try or else someone would get hurt and she’d be the cause. Determined, she sought out the quietest space of floor in the storage closet and pulled the blanket over her head.

The dreams came for her like they always did - flickering in between recent and distant and haunting her. Regardless of whether she was in a disaster zone or home in her bed, the stench of Katrina clung to her and tinged every terrible thing her mind could recall.

It had been the defining moment of her life and one that had changed everything. Sitting atop the roof of her house with her sister and mother, knowing her father was floating somewhere down below, stuck in the floodwaters of the broken levy after trying to break through the ceiling. She remembered the smell, a day later, as the helicopters flew overhead and the water stayed high. It was the smell of rot and heat and gasoline. The boat rescued them later that day but they had to leave behind her father’s body, somewhere in the house that was under water.

[titaniasfics]

Call for Betas - A Candle For The Caribbean: Charity Anthology

Looking for some volunteers to beta as stories come through. Our current betas have all been assigned. Please message @titaniasfic or send a message to @loveinpanem. Thanks!

[everlarkficquestions]

Just an idea.... would you consider doing a poll of every tumblr user who frequents this site of either their favorite story or the one they with most that the author would return to complete? It would be a great way for people to find new stories. Up to you, obviously, but I thought I'd give it to you - I have always wanted to do something like this but lack the platform you have. Love your site!

Hi affirmed-fics and thank you for the love!

EFQ prefers not to get into creating polls or anything like that as everyone’s taste is so different and we don’t all like the same things. Instead we prefer to help out in other ways.  

However, our friends over at @loveinpanem​ are running two fantastic prompts during June and July that might be just what you’re looking for!

JUNE: Classic Hunger Games - We all have one. That one fanfiction that brought us into the fandom. The one that led us down the path of this shared passion. Tell us which one it is and why you loved it…..

JULY:  Finish-a-Fic/Adopt-a-Fic

You should definitely check these out. 

[hutchhitched]

Love in Panem’s A Candle For the Caribbean Sneak Peek

Better late than never, right? Don’t forget to donate to A Candle For the Caribbean, @loveinpanem‘s fund raiser for victims of Hurricane Maria. For more information, check here for information about donations and here for a list of contributors.

In October 2015, I submitted a story called Too Familiar for @promptsinpanem​‘s Round 8. I knew at the time what the result would be from Katniss and Peeta’s actions in that story, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to write it. Over the months, this version of Everlark kept poking me on the shoulder, so I finished their story for A Candle in the Caribbean. Huge thanks to @titaniasfics​, @thegirlfromoverthepond​, and everyone else at @loveinpanem​ for hosting this challenge. An undying debt of gratitude to @akai-echo​ for the absolutely gorgeous banner. I can’t begin to express my gratitude.

_______________________________________________________________

“You know I love you, Kat.”

 She stopped then, confused at his confession. Her heart soared and broke at the same time. Why did this have to be so hard? Why couldn’t he be available for something real and good instead of guilt and shame?

 “You what?”

 “I love you. I have for a long, long time. I’m… I don’t know how to stop, Katniss, but I love you, and I’m married to someone else. I’m going to be a father in a few weeks, and all I can think about is how to balance getting the nursery ready with how to keep from screaming your name when I jack off in the shower.” He bowed his head, and she rested her palms on his shoulders. “I want to be a good dad. My baby deserves that. But Katniss—”

 “But what?” she pled. “Tell me.”

 “I want you. So much.”

 “Peeta, I…” She didn’t know what to say, and he didn’t volunteer anything else. It took everything inside her to step away from him and blurt, “You need to leave.”

 He nodded and crossed to the door in only a few strides. She panicked when his hand grasped the doorknob, and she called his name. She threw herself at him, wrapping him in a tight hug, and he pulled her tightly against him. Their faces were centimeters apart, their lips almost touching. For several seconds they stood frozen, and then he dropped his arms and staggered back against the wall.

 “You see, Katniss? I want to kiss you so much, but I can’t. I can’t do it. I can’t do this.”

 She reached for him and nuzzled into his neck, breathing in his scent. His cologne had always been her weakness. She wasn’t sure what it was, but she always smelled cinnamon and herbs when she was near him.

 “You’re a good man, Peeta Mellark,” she whispered and kissed his neck. Then she released him and walked to her couch. By the time she was settled and reached for her remote, he was gone.

[florence68blog]

The Buzz Around Town

This is a cover  for my upcoming story (Everlark fanfic) for A Candle for the Caribbean - Charity anthology benefiting the victims of Hurricane Maria. Donations are welcome & appreciated!

For more information please visit Love in Panem Blog!

The Buzz Around Town - Keywords

[shesasurvivor]

Who wants another sneak peak of my contribution to @loveinpanem‘s charity drive A Candle for the Caribbean? 

---

He’s right. For the first time, I realize I’m not alone in this. I might actually have a chance to get Prim out of this world for good. To get out myself for good. I wonder what would happen to The Mockingjay if I were to leave. Would they keep the name? What would they tell the world about my sudden disappearance? Oh, they’d spin it somehow, for sure. Say I had decided to retire or something. But behind the scenes, they’d be on the hunt for me. And I’d have the FBI helping to protect me.

“You can take some time to think about it if you want,” Peeta says. “But remember, we don’t have a whole lot of time to make this decision.”

“No,” I say, breathing in. It’s crazy. Maybe even suicide. But some instinct is telling me this is the right thing to do. “Let’s do it.”

Peeta’s whole face lights up in surprise. “Really? You want to go?”

“Yes,” I nod. I lean towards him and immediately he opens his arms, wrapping me in his embrace. Holding me to him. I feel safe for the first time in ages.

--

If you want to read the rest, please consider donating to a charity dedicated to helping victims of the hurricanes over the last few months. Lists of charities can be found here and here. All you have to do is e-mail your receipt to titania522@gmail.com. Once you have done so, you will be put on a list of donors eligible to receive the complete anthology, which will be released December 7. There are many talented writers and artists contributing, and for more fandoms than just The Hunger Games. I hope you will consider helping out with this excellent cause!

[mega-aulover]

The Mockingjay & The Lion

There isn’t anyone who doesn’t love fairytales…especially me. This story is inspired by a Grimms Story called ‘The Lion and The Lark.’ Thank you to my beta @norbertsmom for helping me through the plot. How can I repay you for listening to my endless prattle about ideas and helping me throughout the process. You are amazing!!! To @kleeklutch you always come through in a pinch, no matter how weird my question is. Thankyou to my cheer and motivators @titaniasfics & @everllarkingnewtina TQM!!. Finally thank you to the talented members of @loveinpanem your prompts and ideas bring me so much joy, I really deeply inspired ny the prompt, it became 10k. If I could I’d hug you all I would!

Rated M ( for violence, mature themes   subject matter) AU / NON-Canon

“Momma, tell us the story,” her little boy yawned, “again.”

“Yes momma, tell us the story again,” her daughter parroted her eyes heavy with sleep.

Katniss smiled gently at her children. Twins who were as different as night and day. Her first born daughter was quiet and observant. her second born was sweet but with a quick flashing temper like his father. Her children were a mix of both of them. Katniss placed her hand on her womb, she was with child again, and her husband was beyond excited.

“Pleeeeeeeease momma,” both children begged from their respective beds.

“Alright.” Katniss took her son and moved him to his sister’s bed. “I believe tonight you get to sleep here.”

Her children giggled as they nestled together. Her son’s curly blond hair fell over his eyes. “Ready…”

Their eyes shined. “Yes!Yes!”

Katniss began to speak….

Once upon a time in the land of Panem, lived a poor huntsman who lived by the edge of dangerous woods. No one dared enter the wood for they said it was enchanted. The huntsman, Mr. Everdeen, was brave and was commissioned by the local magistrate to keep the vigil on the beasts that roamed the woods.

The huntsman was a widow and had two daughters, one with raven hair and eyes the color of gray storms, and his youngest with flaxen hair and eyes the color of the pale blue sky. He loved both of his children and warned them never to step out into the woods.

His oldest, Katniss, was a rebellious child. Not that she was disobedient, but she did like to push the boundaries set by her father. She liked to hunt just like he did, and she’d follow him. Every time he caught her he’d send her away until one day Mr. Everdeen decided it was far more prudent to teach Katniss to use his bow and arrows than to try to keep her at home.

Katniss surprised him. She was a better shot than he so Mr. Everdeen commissioned his oldest to always watch out for her younger sister.

Primrose was a sweet child and kept all of her father’s rules. She was a healer like her mother before her, and had need of the special medicinal plants that grew in the woods. Her father diligently sought out the plants Primrose needed, for she saved many lives in the remote village.

Mr. Everdeen was known to dote on his daughters, and so it was after a long harsh winter when the springs first rays poked through the gray clouds of winter that he announced he was traveling to town. 

“Now my little huntress, what would you like from town?”

Katniss hid her smile and shook her head. She was aware of their status in life, and did not want her father to spend unnecessary money on a careless bauble or trinket. “Nothing father, I really do not want anything.”

Mr. Everdeen gave his oldest a pat on the head. “There must be something you want?”

Her sister spoke out of turn, “I know what I need, a dandelion-thistle from the forest.”

“Primrose, you know it is dangerous for father to venture into the forest past the lake,” Katniss admonished. The dandelion-thistle was a special type of milk-thistle that only grew deep within the forest, past the boundary of the water, it was too dangerous even for an expert like their father. Its flower was yellow instead of purple, and the serum was potent. Her sister only used it sparingly because it was treacherous to find one. They grew on rocky cliffs, underneath prickly thorned bushes.

“I know, but I am running low. Last year there were a great many infirmed people seeking medical attention,” Prim lamented. “They took the two day voyage from the village here, Katniss, in search of my expertise,” Prim stated forcefully. “I need more.”

“It’s alright, I will seek what you want,” Mr. Everdeen promised. He turned once more to Katniss. “What of you Katniss?”

“A pearl, father. Katniss is found of pearls,” Prim burst. “She never asks for anything for herself, please, she would love one. I saw her looking at the illustration in one of mother’s books,” Prim begged of her father.

Katniss turned pink. She was found of pearls. She couldn’t understand why, but it was her favorite gem.

“Is that what you want?” Her father asked.

Katniss shyly nodded. She could never ask for anything so significant. The pearl would be costly. “But only if you can afford it. If not, just come home safe.”

“I shall see what I can find,” Mr. Everdeen promised and

Katniss and Prim stood watching their father leave down the path. It would take seven days for their father to go to the village to purchase what he needed and return to them safely.

Katniss was charged with caring for her younger sister Prim. Primrose had a pure heart, she was good, but being only sixteen, impulsive. She was also their father’s favorite. Katniss didn’t mind. Primrose was the replica of her mother, not just physically but in spirit as well.

As the girls waited for their father to arrive a storm assaulted their small cottage. The winds battered the shutters and the rain pelted on their roof. The girls made a large fire and huddled around it.

Lightning crackled in the air and thunder rumbled in the atmosphere.

Katniss looked out of the window. “There is no way father will be arriving today, not in this weather, old Phillip needs to rest.”

“Phillip is an excellent horse, but you’re right; he will be frightened of the weather.” Prim smiled suddenly and said, “How about a story.”

“I’m not a good story teller, Prim. You know this.”

“No silly, I’ll tell you a story, Katniss.” Primrose chuckled.

Katniss shook her head, “Sorry, I’m just worried.”

“It’s okay,” Prim said. “Do you remember the stories that mommy told us?” Prim asked as she stared into the fire.

Katniss chuckled. “Mom told us a lot of fanciful stories about Red sorcerers and evil princesses.”

“She also told us of the poor kingly Lion.” Prim gazed at her sister before glancing back at the fire.

“What are you speaking of little duck?” Katniss asked.

Primrose turned to her sister as she covered her feet with the quilted blanket she’d wrapped around herself. “You know of the Lion.”

Katniss frowned slightly. “What Lion?”

“You’ve forgotten.” Primrose smiled as she settled her head on her knees.

“Why don’t you tell me the story then. At least it will pass the time.”

Prim wiggled her blond lashes, her voice lowered considerably as she dramatically began, “It was a dark and stormy night.”

Katniss laughed at her sister’s antics. “Please Prim, get to the story.”

Prim fell backwards laughing. She sobered and said, “There once was a Prince. He was good and his people loved him, but his mother, Queen Mellark, was a woman who wanted power. She sought to conquer the Red Kingdom by uniting both houses. She struck a deal for her son to marry the daughter of the wicked King, a sorcerer who had one daughter, begot through evil ways.” Primrose glanced at her sister, “Mother always said, never make a deal with evil you will always regret it.”

Katniss eyes grew wide. Even though her sister was her junior there was something oddly terrifying about this. Their mother was secretive. She had an otherworldly appearance, and like their father, had cautioned them to never go into the forest. “What happened?”

“On the day of the wedding, the Red King and the Red Princess attacked, and all minus a few were saved. The servants were scattered into the forest. The Prince wasn’t so lucky. He was turned into a lion to save his life.” Prim’s voice became hushed, “Mother said he the lives in the woods, and would only become human when he heard the song of the Mockingjay.”

Katniss swallowed as her heart raced. Thunder roared and lightning flashed as suddenly the door of their small cabin crashed open and their father fell inside. He was wet and was bleeding from a wound on his neck.

“Father,” Prim cried running to him. Katniss reached her father by mere seconds.

“No,” their father cried. Not you my Primrose, not you.“ He wept openly.

“He’s going into hysterics. Help me carry him to the table,” Prim demanded.

Lightning flashed and Katniss saw a lion standing by the entrance of their home. She quickly loaded her bow with an arrow and pointed it at the creature. It roared, but she stood still; her stance did not waiver.

“NO!” Her father shouted.

Katniss looked down at her father, puzzled.

“He’s here to collect his reward,” their father cried bitterly. “I went into the forest, past the lake to get your dandelion-thistles and I found it, but they belonged to him. He pounced on me and threatened to cause me harm unless I had something to trade for what I had stolen. I promised to give the lion the first thing that greeted me if it let me live.”

“No,” Katniss said, raising her bow again. “HE WILL NOT TAKE MY SISTER!” The lion did not move, even as her arrow was pointed to kill. He watched her curiously his blue eyes following her actions, his beautiful blond mane blowing in the wind.

Her father struggled to stand and he gently said, “Katniss, I bargained with him and came to an agreement. I will not renege on my promise.”

Katniss’ head fell and her arms went limp, no longer able to hold up her bow.

“So it is the child I am to take with me?” The Lion looked oddly bored as he sat on his hind legs with his head cocked to the side.

Katniss glanced at her beautiful sister with her delicate face. She could not allow it. “I volunteer,” she whispered. Then as her sister moved forward Katniss pushed Prim back and shouted as she ran into the rain to face the Lion. “I volunteer to take my sister’s place. Take me instead. Maul me, use my bones, but please my sister must live!” tears flowed from her eyes as she stood before the lion waiting for the blow.

There was silence and only the rain could be heard falling on the leaves of the trees, on the rooftop of their home, and on the ground as it pooled into puddles. “Very well,” the Lion said. “Make your goodbyes.”

Katniss turned around to face her family. Prim came outside and hugged her. “You didn’t have to do it.”

Katniss embraced her sister back. “I love you little duck,” Katniss said.

Her father put a cloak on her shoulders. “This belonged to your mother.” The vibrant green cloak with its white, gray, and black brocade of the wood looked like silk, but it did not get wets. Its hood was lined in fur. “It will protect you,” her father said as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Katniss eyes were trained on the Lion, afraid he would react in anger.

The Lion yawned.

Katniss hugged her father briefly before stepping away. She stood before the Lion with her head cast downwards.

“We must leave now as the journey to reach my home is long,” the Lion said.

They began walking away. Katniss turned around and pressed her three fingers to her lips and lifted her hand up in a silent tribute to her family. Her father and sister did the same before she turned around and continued walking.

The rain fell steadily and Katniss stumbled in the mud. She had no idea where she was and it was getting cold as the night descended. They’d reached the boundary of the lake.

“Get on my back,” the Lion ordered.

Katniss did as he bid, and together they sped off. He ran faster than any creature she had ever seen. It felt as if the world sped by her. She gripped his mane tighter until they reached a cabin out in the forest. It was dark, but the rain had thankfully stopped. She questioned why a Lion would want a cabin, unless he brought his victims here, lulled them then murdered them.

“Go on,” at her incredulous look the Lion growled. “You don’t think I sleep outdoors do you?”

Katniss did not speak to him, but examined her new home. The cabin was not as big as her family’s home which had three rooms. This one looked to contain only one, perhaps a sleeping loft. There was smoke coming out of the chimney and it had one window, but its shutter was locked. Katniss clicked on the latch and found it was easy enough for the paw of the Lion to open it. She walked in and looked behind her to see the Lion followed her.

“You will sleep here with me.”

The door closed shut behind her. The cabin was tidy, but simple. There was a bed, a fireplace lit with a warm fire, a wardrobe and what looked like an oven a baker would use. She set her bow and quiver of arrows by the side and removed her cloak, putting it on the edge of the bed.

“Take off your clothing,” the Lion barked.

Katniss did not jump at his bark. She turned and glared at the Lion.

He laughed, “You’re not afraid of me.”

“Why should I be? You could have eaten me by now if you wanted.” Katniss bravely stood.

The Lion’s blue eyes twinkled. “Take off your clothes, and prove to me that you’re not afraid?”

Katniss was brave, but at this moment everything she did was out of pure bravado. She wondered if her mother’s tale was true, then she thought it had to be true since she was in a cabin with a talking lion. “Why don’t I sing for you?”

“Oh, can you sing?” The Lion sat down feigning boredom.

“If I sing for you, and you like it you must marry me,” Katniss said.

“Marry you?” The Lion laughed. “I’m going to tell you once more, take off your clothing.”

“No,” Katniss said, but she flinched when he swiped at her with his paw. She didn’t feel a thing but in an instant her clothing fell to the floor, shredded. Katniss thought this was when she would surely die. She tightly held her lashes together, expecting a blow, but instead she felt as the Lion sniffed her. His wet muzzle pressed up against her belly and the rough texture of his tongue lapped at her skin.

Katniss opened her eyes to see the Lion looking at her. His blue eyes were not cruel or clouded with a crazed hungry passion. Her skin prickled.

“Get in the bed and go to sleep,” the Lion ordered.

She scampered into the bed and covered her naked form with the sheet. The Lion lay down next to the bed. “You are pure and innocent.”

Katniss did not know what that meant. But as she lay there her curiosity got the better of her and she reached out to touch the Lion’s mane. She wondered if he would purr like any ordinary house cat. She gently began to pet his head, and she was pleasantly surprised to hear the gentle purr. This went on night after night. It became clear he didn’t intend to eat her when he brought food for them both to eat.

One night she fidgeted with the sheet of the bed, hiding her nakedness.

“What is the matter?”

She was annoyed by his dumb question. “I don’t like being naked.”

“I like seeing you naked.”

She narrowed her eyes and huffed, “You wouldn’t understand.”

He barked out a laugh, “Lion’s don’t wear clothing, sweetheart.”

“Well human girls do,” Katniss protested.

“Go to bed then.”

Katniss hid under the covers but she swore she could see his shoulders shake with mirth. Her nakedness didn’t bother him, but she couldn’t stand it. And she continued to be in the buff until one morning she found a beautiful green dress made out of crushed velvet. It was a perfect fit, and she was glad to be clothed again.

She stepped outside of the cabin and was astonished by the view. It was serene, with mountains in the background a body of water just ahead; a small meadow and lush woods surrounding them. She ached to hunt, but she couldn’t. She gazed fondly toward the woods, but never said anything to the Lion, who often left her alone in the cabin. Katniss needed something to do. She was not used to being idly. Cooking and cleaning her one plate was the highlight of her day.

“Come hunt with me,” the Lion said.

She ran inside and grabbed her cloak and her weapon.

“Are you any good with your weapon?”

Instead of answering, Katniss decided to prove it to him, and that night they had more game than when he hunted by himself.

“You, my lioness, will come with me always.” The Lion sat next her, seeking her hand to pet him.

Katniss discovered while hunting with him that lions did not actually hunt. Her Lion explained only the lioness did, and she was his lioness. She brought him prey and he would eat it. They were deep in the forest when she spotted a stag. The wind was such that if the Lion moved, the stag would catch his scent. She placed her hand in his mane and let it delve until she found the scruff of his neck. She moved her fingers in a circular pattern. The Lion gazed up at her curiously.

“Roar,” she whispered.

Obediently he roared, and she quickly felled the stag with two of her arrows. The Lion took off and finished the stag off. Katniss sat down far away from the carnage, allowing him to eat. Although he preferred his meat cooked, he wasn’t a tamed Lion, and she respected him enough to allow him to feast as was his nature.

One week later she sat on the porch of their small cottage, eating some wild strawberries she’d collected. The Lion sat by her, sunning himself.

“That day you volunteered for your sister, what was your father’s gift for you?”

Surprised by his question Katniss lowered her lashes to the ground. “It was a silly request my sister made for me.”

“Your sister made the request for you?” The Lion sat on his haunches staring at her, his blue eyes filled with curiosity. His tail slowly wagged.

“I never ask for anything because I know my father cannot, could not afford it. We’re not wealthy but we get by. So when my father asked, I told him I wanted nothing.”

“But your sister intervened.”

“Prim told my father I liked pearls,” Katniss blushed. “They are expensive and I told him it wasn’t necessary, and only if he could afford it. I highly doubt he managed to find one in the village. Most likely he’d found a small bead that looked like one. Anyway, none of it matters now.” She shrugged then stared at the sun. “I think I’m going to make dinner, would you like rabbit stew?”

“Yes,” the Lion answered but his blue eyes held a mystery Katniss did not understand. She knew he was curious by nature, always asking questions. He was funny like a cub, although he was an adult lion. Her favorite times were when she would nap by his side in the fields. She felt oddly safe sleeping next the Lion.

Moments elapsed into hours. Hours became days. Days turned into months, and months morphed into a year. It was an idle time and slowly she and the Lion became friends. Katniss secretly treasured her time with the Lion.

On a warm summer night when no fire was needed, Katniss slowly disrobed in front of the Lion. He liked to watch her. He liked to sniff her and mark her with his tongue. Katniss didn’t say anything as she gently rubbed his head until she fell asleep. Somehow Katniss had fallen in love with the Lion. He was a kind and gentle creature who, despite his roar, treated everything with respect. She found him amusing and frustrating. Her days were spent in laughter and he would do things for her, leave trinkets for her to find.

Feathers for her arrows, a leather strap for her quiver. A leather glove for her to shoot with, and her most favorite thing, cheesbuns. Katniss did not know where he secured the morsels, but they were her most desired treat. One night, a violent storm raged outside and the thunder woke her up, but when she moved, she found she was not alone in the bed. A very handsome naked blond man was in the bed with her. He had a broad chest and fine blond hairs on his chest. His lashes were long and as transparent as the fine tendrils of a spider’s web.

She panicked and screamed, waking the man up. Katniss tried to fight him off, but he pinned her to the bed. “Let go of me. If the Lion knew you were here he’d kill you?”

“Would he?” The man was clearly amused.

“Yes,” Katniss hissed.

He laughed, “Oh sweetheart, it’s me. I’m your lion.”

“No,” Katniss shook her head.

“Look into my eyes,” the man said.

Katniss stared into the eyes of the man who held her. His eyes were blue, but they were kind and warm. “Lion,” she whispered.

“My name is Peeta,” he said, letting go of her hands.

Katniss frowned, and then as if to prove to herself he was real, she touched his shoulders, arms, and back. His skin was warm, but firm to the touch. She slipped her hands into his hair and she felt the same texture as the Lion’s mane. “My Lion,” Katniss whispered, marveled at what her eyes and hands beheld.

“Marry me Katniss, be my lioness,” Peeta urged.

Katniss nodded.

Peeta leapt out of the bed and took out a loaf of bread, “We shall have a toasting.”

Katniss knew of this custom, her own parents had done it. Together they started a fire, skewered the bread and toasted it. After it was consumed Peeta took her to bed and made her is wife. After the fire had died, the lay facing each other. Katniss asked, “How is it you’re a man?”

“When midnight comes I turn into a man, but only until the sun’s first light touches the earth. Then I become the Lion again.” Peeta stroked her face. “I never leave this cabin when I’m a man. It shelters me from my enemies.”

“The Red King and his Princess,” Katniss guessed.

“Yes. I barely escaped. Cashmere, Snow’s daughter, is evil.”

Katniss hugged him. “I’m glad she never got her claws on you.”

“She doesn’t know I morph into a man at night. Any clothing I wear is destroyed.” Peeta chuckled. “It’s why I don’t have need of clothing. Part of the reason I like seeing you naked.” He lifted the sheet and wiggled his blond eyebrows. “The man in me appreciates a thing of beauty.”

Katniss shoulders lightly slapped his muscular arm. “You’re a naughty Lion.”

“I’m also very frisky.” Peeta nipped her skin playfully, making her laugh, then his face became serious, “Until you, I’ve been so lonely.”

Katniss understood, he wasn’t able to tell anyone of his true identity. “I swear to keep your secret.”

“I know you will, the way you volunteered for your sister was commendable. I haven’t seen such kindness or goodness like that for a long time, Katniss.” Peeta leaned in for a kiss and then they mated once more.

In the morning, she found a perfect pearl on her pillow. She had never seen a dark pearl, but in the light it glowed with a blue and green iridescence. She treasured the pearl and brought it to her lips. Her Lion loved her back.

That evening she waited until her Lion turned into Peeta and leapt into his arms, placing kisses on his face.

Peeta laughed, “Why this amorous show of affection?”

Overcome with feeling, a tear slipped from her gray eyes. “Thank you for treating me as your equal, and for loving me as I am.”

He placed his hands on either side of her face, “I should say the same to you.”

Katniss grabbed his hand and drew him to the bed where they made love until it was time for him morph into his feline form once again. He sat by her and lapped her skin gently until she fell asleep, wrapped in his warm fur. This began their tradition. Katniss would hunt for her Lion during the day and at night become Peeta’s wife.

For his safety she would only call him Peeta when he was in his human form. Katniss always kept it in mind to call him Lion, during the day, even when they were in their home. Her fear of something happening to him never left her.

The Lion wanted her to train, to teach her the art of pouncing, and of disguising herself in nature so that other predators wouldn’t be able to find her.

Katniss was crouched inside the bushes looking out for her Lion. She was determined to win, to outfox him.

“You know hiding in a patch of wild rosemary bushes is brilliant.”

Startled by the Lion’s voice Katniss jumped up. He was lying on his back worming around, no doubt to scratch an itch he felt. “GRRR,” Katniss spat.

“Where are you going?”

“Ugh, why make me do all of these silly exercises if you always find me. I’ve followed your directions. I walked on stones, stayed downwind, waded through the river for sometime, I rubbed pine on my face and arms, and hid amongst the rosemary bushes to hide my scent.”

The Lion laughed. “You’re getting better. It took me sometime to find you.”

“You sound too smug, Lion. You’re hiding something from me.”

“You’ve hidden your smell well, but I can still smell me.”

Katniss didn’t understand what he meant.

The Lion rubbed up against her as they made the trek back to their cottage. “You smell like me, wife.”

“I smell like you?”

There was a territorial sound to his voice, “You reek of my scent, I’ve marked you in such a way that even if I were blind I’d be able to know you’re mine.”

Katniss shivered. “I don’t know if I like that.”

“I find it arousing, I have to remind myself not to pounce on you when I’m in my Lion form. I can hurt you, my love.”

“You mean you want to ah…” Katniss voice trailed off.

He stood just outside of the door, “Just wait until tonight my dear, be ready for me.”

Katniss eyes widened, he sounded so feral, but she wasn’t afraid, she welcomed it. That night Peeta kept her up until the very rays of the sun touched the earth. He rolled off her back just as he became the Lion. Katniss had no strength, her bones were heavy. “Rest, my lioness. I am not finished with you.”

She didn’t make it out of the cabin for three days. She was so tired she couldn’t make it out of bed, sleepily she heard her Lion speaking to another.

“Your majesty, you must be careful with her,” the male voice was filled with concern.

“I can’t help it Finnick, I have this need to make her mine. It overcomes my good intentions.”

“She is ovulating, her pheromones are driving you mad, to you she’s in heat, but you have to find a way to control yourself. You can cause her harm, even in your human form.”

“Finnick, what do I do?” The Lion was concerned.

“Care for her tonight, give her body time to heal. There are other ways to satisfy…” The man kept on talking but Katniss had fallen into a deep dreamless sleep. When she awoke next it was dark outside and Peeta held her in his arms.

“Hello, husband,” Katniss yawned as she put her head on his shoulder.

“Hello, pet,” Peeta answered. “We’re going to give you a bath tonight.” He stepped inside of the metal tub filled with hot water.

“Mmmm,” Katniss purred the warm water soothed her sore body.

“Is my lioness happy?”

“Yes.” Katniss yawned as Peeta rubbed her back and her legs. He gently washed her nether region and her hair. It was marvelous to feel his fingers massaging her head and neck. After her bath, he fed her soup, fruits, and warm bread. She felt as if her body was boneless and fell asleep wrapped up in the arms of her husband and lover. “I love you,” she whispered just as she drifted back to sleep.

She didn’t hear when Peeta respond, “And I love you too.”

The love Katniss felt grew exponentially. She threw herself into trying to show her lion just how much she cared for him. One morning as the sun was cresting, Katniss woke up before the Lion, and wanted to provide him with a special breakfast.

Her Lion loved fish, so she went out of the cabin toward the lake. She quickly set up her fishing line with several hooks to catch as many fish as she could. She sat underneath a tree to watch the line. Soon the small bell rung as fish were caught.

Katniss pulled up the line and was glad she caught several large fish. She quickly put them in the basket, deciding she’d better get back if she wanted to surprise him. As she approached the path she heard the distinctive sound of a raven. Katniss glanced up to see the largest black bird she had ever seen in her life glaring down at her. The hair at the back of her neck stood on edge.

The bird gave a frightening gurgling croak before it flapped its giant wings. The urge to run and hide was great, and she followed her instincts. She heard the bird coming behind her, as she ran toward safety. The raven made a shrill piercing cry as it dove for her.

Katniss dove out of its way. She got up grabbed her basket and ran faster until she reached the cabin. She fumbled with the latch while looking behind her in fear. She opened the door and shut it behind her. She breathed heavily, her body still taught with fear. She’d never seen a raven in woods. Her eyes searched for her Lion. Relief poured through her when she spotted him still fast asleep in front of their bed.

She ran to him, and latched her arms around his thick neck.

“Katniss, what is wrong?”

“Nothing, my Lion, nothing,” Katniss answered. She never did tell him about the raven, nor did she ever leave the cabin without her weapons ever again.

Time moved forward. She remained vigilant, but was wildly happy with her life, until a few weeks later the Lion said, “You’re sister is getting married.”

“Prim,” Katniss smiled, glad. Her sister would be eighteen by now. “Do you know who he is, is he a good man?”

“Why don’t you go to her,” the Lion suggested. “I can understand if you want to leave.”

Katniss shook her head no. She got down on her knees, and petted his face. “No, my life is here with you.”

“I want you to go, even if it’s for a visit.”

His insistence made her agree, but she made him promise come with her. They prepared and Katniss collected many medicinal plants she was sure her sister would use. They left and like the journey to their home, he carried her on his back. When they arrived it was night, and the ceremony had already taken place, but not the toasting. “We’re not too late,” Katniss whispered.

“Go be with your family, and when midnight approaches I will come to your door,” the Lion said. “It is not safe for me in my human form.”

Katniss nodded as she watched him hide in the woods. She knocked on the door.

“Katniss,” Prim whispered with disbelief.

Katniss removed the hood of the cloak their father had placed over her shoulders so long ago.

Prim then cried, “Katniss,” and threw her arms around her sister and hugged her tightly. “You’re alive. I thought you dead. Father! Look its Katniss.”

Katniss was embraced by her father and she cried. She was dragged into the house.

Those gathered in the room were pale, but joyous. Some faces were familiar, others were not. Primrose brought Katniss to a tall young man with kind gray eyes. “Katniss this is my husband, Vic Hawthorne. This is my sister, alive and well.” Prim did not stop touching her.

Prim’s young man Vic, resembled Katniss, he had the same dark hair, and eyes, but he was taller than their father.

“I think you need to do the toasting,” Katniss whispered and all in the room laughed, except for one pair of eyes, that seemed to narrow toward her direction.

Katniss did not notice. She was entertained watching as her sister toasted with her young man, and it brought back memories of her own wedding. She wished Peeta was here with her, but it was far too dangerous for him to be a part of any group of humans. She waited until the guests had all left to approach her sister. She felt a little flushed and dizzy, but she supposed it was from all of the excitement. She knocked on the door of her sister’s room. Their father was having a talk with Vic.

“I can’t believe you’re here.”

“I brought you a present for your wedding, herbs that I’ve collected in the woods.”

“Katniss you seem different,” Prim said.

Katniss blushed and then she told her sister of her story. How the Lion was waiting for her out in the woods for the midnight hour to approach so that he could be with her.

“I knew the legend was true; mother wasn’t from the village. She always said there was a world we didn’t see or know of. She said one day the Mockingjay would break the curse and unlock the doors between both our worlds.” Primrose shook her head. “Go, Vic is soon to be here and I suspect your husband will be most anxious to see you.”

Katniss stood up but she lost her footing.

Prim quickly stood by her, “Are you alright?”

“Just tired and dizzy, I’m afraid all of the excitement is getting to me.”

Prim gave her a perplexing look, “Oh, then go get some rest.”

Katniss nodded, and left, but instead of going to her bedroom she opened the door where her Lion waited. “Come,” she waved to him.

As a Lion he was quiet, but as a man Peeta had a heavy thread. Her Lion crept with her into her room. Katniss closed the door and she yawned, but wanted to be with her husband. She fell onto her knees and placing her arms around his neck. The midnight hour came as he morphed; she was immediately pulled into Peeta’s arms. His kiss was demanding.

“I have need of you, wife,” Peeta purred into her ear.

Katniss nodded and did not bother removing her clothing she hiked up her dress, lay on her back widening her legs and pulled him toward her. Peeta mounted her and their coupling was wild and fast. She bit into the pillow to keep her noises down.

A while later, she was nestled on top of his chest. His hands languidly traced her back. Katniss loved to hear the sound of his heart beat.

“I do not like being away from you,” Peeta complained, tugging at the sheet to wrap them up in.

“We’ll leave in the morning,” Katniss suggested even though she wanted to spend more time with her family, she understood the danger they were in.

“No, you should have another day with your family,” Peeta argued. “I’ve taken you away from them for two years.”

“I volunteered, Peeta.” Katniss leaned up, determined to win.

“You did but you still need your family, wife.” His blue eyes narrowed. “If I had the opportunity to be with my family again, I would.”

Katniss wanted to argue, but she relented and nodded. Peeta told her how the Red King and his daughter the Red Princess killed his brothers and mother. Peeta was glad his father had long since died and never saw the destruction of their kingdom. Peeta turned her over, still wanting to play and Katniss tried to stop herself from giggling. Her husband was a frisky Lion. In the morning she snuck her Lion out of the house. She told him of her plans to persuade her father to go hunting with her.

“Perhaps I shall join you.” He happily whipped his tail back and forth before he took off for the woods. Katniss wondered what the Lion was up to. She discovered what his plan was as she and her father were stepping out of the house to go into the woods together.

Her father looked toward the woods that were only a few feet away. “The Lion, he treats you well, daughter?”

Katniss smiled and touched her father’s forearm. “He is kind, father, and even though he’s not tamed, he has never treated me poorly.”

“Good.” her father cleared his throat. “I accidentally walked into your room last night to check upon you. I didn’t realize that legend of him being a man was true.”

Katniss eyes widened, as her face turned red.

“I must imagine there is some sort of partnership between you.” Her father wouldn’t look at her in the face.

Katniss nodded, “I am his wife.”

“That is good.” Her father once more cleared his throat.

“I love him.”

Just as she spoke, the Lion approached with a young buck in his mouth. He placed it at her father’s feet. The Lion sat on his hind legs to watch her father. Katniss nervously glanced between her Lion and her father; she didn’t know how their meeting was going to go down. She watched the contest of wills between them until the Lion bowed his head slightly as an unspoken communication passed between them.

“We didn’t get along that well the last time I saw you,” her father addressed the Lion. “But my daughter is happy, and I can see by the way you look at her that you care for her.” The Lion did not speak, instead he listened carefully. “I shall be contented in this.”

“She is my lioness and I protect her with my life,” the Lion quietly offered.

Her father glanced at Katniss then at the Lion. “Thank you.”

“No, thank you for your daughter.” The Lion disappeared into the woods.

“Well then, let me get Vic. He’ll help me with the stag,” her father said before he left. But Katniss clamped her hand over nose and mouth to block the smell of the creature.

She walked into the house and passed her sister on her way inside. “I’m think I’m going to take a nap.”

Prim nodded but said nothing.

That night she pulled up a chair and waited by the door until midnight. When midnight struck, she opened the door and walked out to see her Peeta. She rushed to him, but as his arms opened wide chaos descended.

Men in red armor appeared as Enobaria, the wife of the magistrate who was at her sister’s wedding, led the group. She had a raven on her shoulder. Smiling evilly she pointed her bony finger at them. “There is the girl and that is her Lion.”

The soldiers surrounded them and they fought off their attackers, but it was too much and she was dragged away from him. “NO,” Katniss screamed as they took Peeta away from her. Her screaming and the skirmish awoke her father, sister and brother-in-law. They rushed outside to watch as the men carried Peeta into the forest.

Her father and Vic took care of the two men who held Katniss.

“PEETA!” Katniss lost her will to think rationally, she ran toward the forest, but was held back by her sister. “Peeta,” Katniss chanted over and over again.

“Katniss, snap out of this, you have to find him,” Prim said, shaking Katniss by the shoulders.

Katniss looked at her sister in a fog. “They took him. I knew we should’ve left, but he said to stay one more day.” Tears fell from her face, “I have nothing Prim, nothing.”

Primrose gently cupped Katniss face. “You’re pregnant with his baby, that’s why you’ve been dizzy.”

“A baby,” Katniss hands flew to her midsection.

“Yes, a baby,” Prim confirmed. “You have to find him, Katniss, You’re the only one who can set us all free.”

Her father slipped her cloak around her shoulders as well as her bow and quiver of arrows. “You’re the only one who can go. Your mother was right you’re the chosen one, the Mockingjay, and only you can liberate the Lion.”

“I don’t know if I can,” Katniss whispered.

“You can do it Katniss,” her father said. “You are a better huntsman than I am. I’ve never seen a skill like yours, my beloved.”

Katniss looked at the woods knowing it was where she would find her Lion, her Peeta.

“Take Phillip, he was your mother’s horse,” her father said.

Prim pressed a vial that contained a golden liquid into Katniss hand. “This serum is made from the dandelion-thistle. All you have to do is administer it before the patient dies and it will heal any illness or injury.”

Katniss took the vial and slipped it inside the cloak her father had put on her shoulders. “I saved it because you’re going to need it on the journey.”

Within moments she was gone, picking up the tracks left by the Red Army. She traveled for two days straight. When she crossed the river she had a hard time picking up their footprints. In the morning she fell violently ill and threw up several times. A clear sign that she carried Peeta’s child in her womb. Tears fell from her face and she openly wept as she sat on the fallen log. She was lost and unable to find her love.

“Your mother was a brave woman, just like you.”

Katniss turned and stood, but saw nothing. After living with Peeta, she knew that not everything was as it seemed. But as a precaution, she notched her bow. “Who are you?”

“You’re right, she’s no simpering girl,” the voice of man said. This one was gruffer, not as smooth as the girl who spoke first.

“She’s brainless. Look at her, lost and we’re wasting our time,” a second female voice said.

Katniss turned around and tried to place where the voices were coming from.

“Look, if we’re going to help him we’ve got to make a decision now, with or without her. Time is of the essence.” This voice was agitated and angry.

A gentler male voice said, “She needs to be given the chance.”

“Who are you?” Katniss once more questioned.

“There, there,” a voice said from above.

Katniss saw a winged horse gently descending to the earth. She recognized it as a pegasus. It came to stand by Katniss. “I am Annie, and it is my pleasure to help you in your quest, your royal highness.”

The white horse was beautiful, she had a brown mark on her face and her doe brown eyes stared at Katniss. She had never seen anything so beautiful. “Hello.”

“Awe hell, Annie,” the other female voice said. She stomped out of the wood, half-woman, half-horse, a centaur, wielding an axe. The woman was muscular and she wore a brilliant armor on her upper half. Her mane of hair was black as was the equine part of her body. Her hooves and legs were strong and thick. The centaur walked around Katniss, “This girl isn’t up to it.”

“How would you know? You haven’t given her a chance.” A man came walking out of the wood. he wore a plaid skirt around him. He was bronzed and tall, with reddish brown hair and golden highlights. Katniss swore he could have been an Irishman by the looks of him, but his skin was tan, not fair as most of the men she’d met.

“Finnick,” Annie greeted.

“Annie,” Finnick greeted back. He turned to Katniss. “I look human but in reality, I’m a merman.”

Katniss was confused, “A what?”

“Half-Fish, Half-Man. Except he can walk around for periods of time.” A faun appeared, he wore an expertly cut tunic and gold liner over his lashes. “I am Cinna.”

Katniss immediately liked Cinna. She glanced at Finnick and he winked at her. Katniss rolled her eyes.

“Well, since everyone is making an introduction,” a little man with a long white beard jumped out of the tree, his was the gruff voice. “I’m Haymitch, I’m a dwarf and don’t call me anything else.”

A large winged bird flew down. His red and orange feathers were as bright as the sun’s rays, and he had bright red claws and gray eyes. “I am Gale, I’m a phoenix.”

Katniss sat down on a tree stump. Her mind what spinning. She knew this was possible, but with everything that happened, she needed to simply sit and sort it out in her brain.

“I told you she’s not capable,” said the centaur Jo as she shook her head dismissively.

“She’s more the capable, Jo,” Cinna the faun spoke as he came next to her and sniffed. “Oh, dear, you are expecting.”

Katniss looked up and smiled, she pressed her hand to her flat stomach. She carried Peeta’s child and he didn’t know it. She stood up with the single-minded thought that she had to find her Lion, her Peeta. “I am going to find him and I will tell him of his child.” She was going to rescue her husband. I lost the Red Army’s tracks.“ All of the creatures surrounding her were shocked into silence. Katniss looked at each of them in the eyes. “Help me find him. I know you know where he is.”

“You have spunk,” Haymitch said, swinging his pick-ax over his shoulder. “I’m in.”

“Well if grumpy is in, I’m in,” Jo spoke and with that the group agreed to help Katniss.

“The Lion is in the castle at the top of Capitol Mountain, and the great serpent Alma is guarding its gates,” Finnick warned. “No one has been able to get past her defenses.”

“She can,” Cinna suddenly danced, his goat legs making a lively step. He smiled and pointed to the cloak. “That cloak is magic and will make her invisible to Alma.”

“So all we have to do is get her close then,” Gale said as he flapped his colorful wings.

“Then it is agreed.” Katniss slipped her arrow back inside of the quiver.

“Come, you can climb on my back. I shall fly.” Annie lowered her legs so that Katniss could climb on the pegasus’ back.

“Finnick, that means you’re riding with me.” Jo looked at Gale. “Fire and Water don’t mix.”

They took off. Katniss was anxious to get to her husband. She was worried about him, about the future. At night she could not sleep and often walked away from the camp to cry. She found solace in the pearl her husband had made into a necklace for her. No one bothered her; they understood she needed time away to speak to him, as if the wind could carry her messages of love.

The journey took a fortnight.

Each of the members of the group prepared for battle in their own ways. Katniss impressed them with her deadly ability with the bow. She was surprised to find more and more creatures joined their group. They had amassed an army by the time the reached the base of the mountain.

As they approached the castle, Katniss was surprised that it was not lit in fire and brimstone. Instead, it was frozen. Its wintry beauty was deceiving. The snow did not stop falling, as if summer had not dared poke its head in this part of the land. Katniss stood on a cliff wearing a feathered gown Cinna had constructed for her. He told her the feather’s of the dress were better than any man-made armor.

Her breath came out in cold puffs of air. She was watching the clouds become darker as day slipped into night. on the horizon; there were light flurries falling. She pressed her lips to the pearl and thought of the strong arms that held her at night. “Soon,” she whispered. “I will be reunited with you, husband.”

“You ready girl,” Haymitch asked.

“Yes,” Katniss replied as she glanced down at the dwarf.

“Then stay alive,” Haymitch harrumphed, then walked away.

They approached the icy castle. If it were not for the flames spewing from the gargoyles perched on the towers it would appear that it was abandoned. It was then Katniss saw the wall blink. Katniss saw the grey reptilian eye of the serpent as it widens turning a fiery red. She shouted, “HIDE!”

They dove as Alma the serpent took form. She unfurled from her position, a giant snake with mighty claws, scaly skin, with giant bat wings. The beast flew right above Katniss, the cloak truly made her invisible to the wicked creature. The serpent breathed fire right before Finn dove out of its way. The Red Army rushed to the turrets and battlements along the wall. Armed men with arrows stood at the ready. However, they were nervously staring at the serpent, her tail whooshed in the air and knocked a piece of the wall.

“Go, girl,” Cinna said, taking her hand as they ran together towards the castle. Finnick distracted the dragon. There was a large river nearby that led into the ocean and he ran into it. Once in his merman form he was much quicker. The Serpent chased him straight into the water.

The confusion allowed the army led by Annie, Jo and Haymitch to attack the castle. Katniss gasped as Gale picked her up over the tower and dropped her into a bale of hay. Gale then swooped down in a ball of fire taking out a whole row of men on the wall.

Katniss quickly crawled out and crept through a side door. She pressed herself against a wall as she heard a group of men moving about. She peeked and saw they numbered three. One of them said “We must not let the Lion escape.”

She followed them quietly as they made their way up into a tower. She hid around the corner, and she could hear his lion’s roar. Katniss had never killed a man before but she silently notched her bow. Resting her head against the cool wall of the castle she counted to three before she sprung out and quickly shot down the three men.

Another man shouted, “Do not kill me, h…ha…here…here is the key.”

Katniss took the key, “Is the Lion in there?”

“Yes, if you want to face the beast that is your affair.”

Katniss grabbed a sword and held it to the man’s throat. “What have they done to him?”

“He turned into a Lion and has not turned back into a man since that day we arrested him. He grows more feral. Just yesterday he tore a man apart.”

Katniss looked at the door. It was dangerous, but she needed to reach him. She was sure she could help him come back. “Down on your knees,” she ordered. The guard obeyed her command. She ripped strips from her clothing and used them to tie his arms and legs down, much the way she would do to a stag, then she wrapped a strip across his mouth. Finished, she opened the door, and called, “Lion.”

It was dark, the windows were boarded up, and she could not see him, but suddenly she found herself pinned to the floor. His massive feline face was inches from hers. He roared, “Come to kill me, sweetheart?”

“No,” Katniss shook her head.

“Lies, you will murder me like you did those men outside.”

“I’m here to rescue you, husband.”

“LIES,” the Lion roared. “I am not, nor would I ever tie myself to you.”

“I am your wife.” Katniss stubbornly held her chin high even though she was flat on her back.

The Lion peered into her face. “You’re not that big or particularly pretty. You’re a mutt and a monster like the rest of them.”

“Perhaps you are right, I am mutt and the monster. I am a deadly killer. You’re kind and gentle, you are the beautiful one.”

“Even when I do this?” he mocked and barred his canine teeth to her as if threatening to bite her neck.

“Please, Peeta,” Katniss called him by his name in the hopes that he would remember.

“Who gave you that name? Did that platinum blond witch Cashmere do it?”

Katniss was near tears, but her resolve to rescue him forbade the tears to surface. “No!” she shook her head side to side, “You told me yourself.”

He laughed, and it sounded insane. His blue eyes were clouded, and it occurred to Katniss he could not remember her. There was one chance, because there was a part of him that would hold her memory. “Sniff me,” she urged.

“What?”

“I dare you, or are you the big bad Lion, afraid of a diminutive, unattractive girl,” Katniss challenged back.

He chuckle rumbled through his chest, “And why would I do that?”

“I am yours and I have your scent all over me.”

He looked perplexed, then indecisive, but she could she his feline curiosity was winning out.

Katniss closed her eyes, and she felt his wet nose touch the exposed skin of her neck as he drew her scent in. He sniffed her hair, face, and neck over and over, before finally she felt his familiar tongue take one gentle lap of the exposed skin of her neck and her skin prickled.

“You belong to me.” His confusion caused him to release her. Katniss stood, and watched him sit down on his hind legs to wearily watch her; his predatory side was still on alert. She slowly lifted her skirt and exposing her bare legs and belly. Unafraid, she stood directly in front of him. She would have removed all of her clothing if she could, but now was not the time for her to be completely naked.

The way he glanced at her aroused her. Her body reacted to being so near to him, and she didn’t care. She wanted him to remember everything. “I carry your bairn within me.”

The Lion opened in his mouth, and she could feel his hot breath upon her belly.

“Mmmm…delicious…” he first breathed in her tangy aroused state. Katniss could tell her Lion was turned on. He sniffed, paused, then sniffed again; his face held a note of curiousness. “What is this fainter smell?” He pressed his nose to where her womb lay. “My child,” his voice was full of wonder. He sniffed her again, drawing her scent through his mouth and his nose. His voice gentled and his blue eyes began to clear up. “My baby…grows within you how?” He shook his head as if to clear the cobwebs in his mind. “Mine…you’re my wife…Katniss?”

Katniss fell to her knees and wrapped her arms tightly around his thick neck, burrowing her face in his mane. She exclaimed, “Husband.”

“I am to be a father,” the Lion purred.

Katniss nodded. “I’ve come a long way for you. We must leave.”

“What a touching reunion.”

Katniss glanced up to see a tall beautiful woman with platinum hair, and cruel eyes. Two heavily armed guards stood with her. “The Red Princess?”

“Refer to me as your royal highness,” the woman hissed.

“I would rather cut you down with my bow,” Katniss stood slowly, her blood pumped quickly through her body.

“Katniss,” the Lion growled.

Katniss did not let her guard down even though she didn’t follow her instinct to shoot the woman.

“Ah, the Lion has tamed you, I see,” she cackled.

“But you didn’t tame the Lion.” Katniss smart words caused the smug look to be wiped off the face of princess, especially when the Lion stood in front of her, hunched down ready to attack Cashmere. As a man it was easy to overtake him with great force, as a beast it was impossible.

Furiously she barked, “That may be so, but he belongs to me, promised to me by his mother.”

“Well too bad, I don’t like to share.”

Both women were in a stalemate. The Princess’ cold eyes fell on Katniss dress. “That dress you wear is exquisite. When I kill you, I shall wear it.”

Katniss laughed shortly. “Killing me may be the only way you will gain my gown, for it is not for sale.”

“Bah, everything has a price,” the woman exclaimed.

“Not everything, including the Lion.” Katniss put her hand on his mane, and moved it down until she found the prickly skin of his neck, then moved her finger in a slow circle. It was their hunting sign. Katniss was preparing herself to attack. His front paw moved forward and she could feel the way his muscles coiled, letting her know he understood her subtle signal.

The princess opened her mouth to speak, but the Lion roared. Within seconds Katniss had an arrow notched. It struck the princess right between the eyes. The two guards fled, leaving their weapons behind.

“Remind me to never make you mad at me,” the Lion said.

The joke caused her to laugh out loud, though the stench of blood caused her to become pale; she swallowed thickly. “I’ve got to get out of here, or else I’m going to throw up, Lion.”

“Get on my back, wife,” the Lion said.

Katniss climbed on his back and he took off. The roof was partly torn off and Katniss noticed the night sky. The castle was under siege by the serpent as it tried in vain to kill the invaders. It chased Annie through the air. Annie was faster and her smaller size allowed her to dip and slip into narrow areas. Jo raced by them, her ax in hand as she mowed down several of the king’s men.

Katniss spotted the king running, his crown sitting upon his snow white hair. “Look, the king.”

“We must destroy him, or else this nightmare will never end,” the lion said as he picked up speed. Katniss held onto him as he followed the king through the corridor.

The king stopped running as he came to a balcony. He faced them; his laughter was insane. “You cannot win.”

“I will tear you limb from limb for what you’ve done to me, and to my family,” the Lion growled.

The king shouted, “ALMA!”

The serpent, hearing its master’s cry came flying toward him. Katniss knew they were no match against the powerful serpent, she had to act quickly. She removed her cloak, allowing Alma to see her for the first time. Aiming her bow, she shot two arrows, one to distract and one to kill. The serpent extinguished one arrow with its fiery breath, but did not see the other arrow aimed directing at its eye. The arrow pierced the great ancient snake and it gave a horrible cry as it fell toward the earth. She didn’t noticed the serpent breathed a last plume of fire at her. She felt it when she was pushed to the floor.

“NO! ALMA!” The king cried, “My power, it’s going, she’s dead.” The king began to age rapidly, doubled over in pain as blood poured out from his nose and lips, he gurgled a cry and fell over the side of the balcony. The king’s body was strewn next to the serpent’s. The battle was over and the red army put its weapons down.

“Katniss.”

Katniss groaned and turned toward the sound of her husband’s voice. Her Lion was burnt, and a piercing scream came out of her, “PEETA!” She wept bitterly as she gently took his face in her hands, “Why Peeta, why?”

“Because I love you,” he coughed, his breath sounded ragged as he struggled to breathe.

Her judgment was clouded as she felt him slipping away from her. She couldn’t live without him. Her pain muddled mind raced trying to find a way to end her life, then she recalled his baby, she couldn’t destroy what little she had of him. His child would never know it’s father, she let out a haunting cry, until she recalled the serum.

She quickly crawled to the cloak and found its secret compartment, and hurriedly fed him the serum. But even as the serum touched his pale tongue he took his last breath.

Katniss began to weep in earnest. Her face buried in his singed mane. Seeing her pain, caused many to shamefully look away. In her delirium, Katniss began to sing, “Deep in the meadow, under the willow…”

Her voice was powerful and it carried in the wind. Anyone standing there that day would say there was deep magic at play. As she sang the sun began to rise and the dawn’s first light broke through the darkness, the snow ceased to fall. The Red Army turned into helpless creatures of the forest and scurried away while the army Katniss amassed returned back to their human forms. Warm arms embraced her, “My Mockingjay, stop singing your sad song.”

With eyes filled with unshed tears, Katniss mouthed, “Peeta.”

“You broke the spell, my love.” He kissed her temple, her forehead, her nose, and finally her mouth.

She greedily soaked in his kisses, until she came up for air. She buried her face in his naked chest, “I’m going to put you somewhere safe and never let you go.”

Peeta laughed. “We’ll have a lifetime, my love, a lifetime.”

Katniss smiled she did have a lifetime with Peeta and she would shoot anyone who dared to disturb her peace. 

5 years later.

“And they lived happily ever after,” Katniss finished the story and kissed her two children on the forehead, they smiled in their sleep.

“They asked for the story again?” Peeta came into the room and wrapped his arms around his wife’s middle.

“Well it has all the trappings of a fairytale, husband.” Katniss’s head lolled back as Peeta nuzzled her neck.

“Like what?”

“Well, a charming prince, a warrior princess, a sorcerer, a great serpent, and far off adventure.”

His hands cupped her breast and began to massage it. “I would say our lives are a fairytale.”

“Peeta, do you suppose we should tell them one day that the stories are real that they aren’t a made up tale to get them into bed?”

“One day,” Peeta nodded. “But we’ll do it together.”

Katniss shook her head as she watched her precious children. Five wonderful years had passed since they had destroyed the hold of the Red King and the Red Princess over the land. They lived in the castle but everything was bright, beautiful, and lush.

“Come to bed, wife,” he growled.

Katniss giggled, “Yes, my Lion.”

Peeta was human, but he was still an untamed Lion.

THE END

[katnissdoesnotfollowback]

I'll see you at midnight... by VortexQueen

[littleevilisa]

LIP March Madness: Introduction of Human Emotions in a Virtual System

Summary: There are some thing you should not mess with. Katniss should have known that before stepping inside the Dreamatorium. Now she has to run through its simulations to find her friend Beetee before he’s lost forever. Sort of. Based on Community season 3 episode 16 “Virtual Systems Analysis”.

Rated: T

A huge thank to @titaniasfics for betaing, and to the ladies at @loveinpanem for hosting this round.

I don’t own THG nor Community

The battle rages all around her. She sees the Men in White fall by the dozen, but the gray uniforms of the rebels lay on the ground, too, marred with blood and dirt.

The epic music swells in a crescendo of brass and percussion.

She uses her bow to block the shotgun-axe of a soldier, then punches him in the guts and stabs him in a soft spot of his neck with her combat knife.

The Crafter is at her side, wielding his powerful plasma spear with purpose. They need to open a path through the battlefield to get to the Reasoner and the Hunter, who have almost reached the President’s camp, leading the assault.

She arms her bow with incendiary arrows, the ones with the yellow tips. She lets them fly in one breath, one fluid motion.

feeew feeew feeew twack twack twack

The soldiers hit by the arrows fall to the ground in silence, dead. She hears the wilhelm screams of those around them, caught in the fire caused by her deadly weapon.

She jumps on top of a big rock to incite their men, raising her bow over her head as if she's holding the flag of their nation.

“People of Panem!” she screams. “We fight, we dare, we end our hunger for justice!”

“Dreamatorium, stop simulation Battle of the Tree Island.”

I huff, stepping off the pile of dirty laundry we’ve been using as the rock. “It’s the fifth time, Beetee. What did I do wrong now?”

Beetee props his broomstick against the green and orange wall of the Dreamatorium, the room that Gale and he use to play out their imaginary games. Or, as they like to call it, render imaginated dreamscapes. “You keep saying the line with the wrong tone, Katniss. Too fast. And you put stress on the wrong word. It should be on justice, not hunger.”

I roll my eyes. “It’s the same. We’re just playing, it’s not like we’re shooting a scene.”

He looks at me blankly for a full six seconds. That is his reprimanding face. “I think I’ve asked too much of you when I gave you the role of the Mockingjay.” he says in his mechanical tone. “You have the right physical appearance and temperament, but you’re not much of an actor.”

I’m regretting deciding that it would be a good idea to get into the Dreamatorium with Beetee - or D13, as he likes to call the room because it underwent a series of updates after its first inauguration. The adorable nerd all movie quotes and obsession of being inside a TV show is actually a giant bossy jerk. Figures this is what I get for deciding to play wingman for Gale.

This morning Dean Trinket, wearing one of her flamboyant outfits, half man and half woman, because she was bearing good news and bad news, announced that the exam the study group have been trying to cram for at the last minute was postponed. Everybody had immediately jumped at the occasion and took a three hour lunch break. Haymitch was going to see the first half of three different movies. Annie wanted to go with her husband Finnick to a fancy fast food across town. Peeta didn’t tell us what he was going to do, probably sleep in his Lexus. And Beetee was calculating that, without eating, Gale and he could make-believe a whole episode’s worth of The Mockingjay. But I had seen the looks Gale had been sending in Johanna’s direction lately, and decided last minute that I could play with Beetee in the Dreamatorium.

So I got stuck playing the protagonist of Beetee’s favorite TV show, about a young woman leading a rebellion against the cruel dictator that had been enslaving her country. While Gale and Johanna are enjoying lunch at Sae’s Diner, where Beetee would never eat because one of the waiter said he hated Die Hard.

“Beetee, can't we play something that I know about?” I ask. “Like, nature conservation?”

Once again Beetee looks at me with his blank face, but this time I recognize the undertone of judgment.

“You're mad at me for helping Gale out with Johanna?” I ask incredulously as I take off the elastic headband I've been using as the Mockingjay's head piece. “You think you're gonna lose Gale.” The two have been best friends since day one of the study group, and basically inseparable since they moved in together at the beginning of the year. Not even the fact that I moved in the same apartment a couple of months ago could change this dynamic.

“I'm not petty, Katniss.” he answers condescendingly. “I'm mad at you because you tampered with the fabric of the group. How do you know that Gale and Johanna pairing up won't destroy everything? I run every possible scenario while studying this stuff.”

I scoff. “So you can do that, but I can't? You shouldn't be such a control freak.”

He nods. “I kind of have to.” He glances around us. “You think this is just a room where Gale and I play dinosaurs versus riverboat gamblers together. Sure, it's how I got the construction approved, but, much like myself, the Dreamatorium has higher functions.” He walks towards a cardboard on the wall with buttons and levers drawn on it. “Would you like me to show you how your stunt with Gale and Johanna will play out?”

I gesture to him to do as he pleases.

He puts his finger on a big red button with push written on it and says, “Dreamatorium, execute simulation Gale/Johanna. Render environment Sae's Diner.” He pulls a fake lever and pushes a couple of random fake buttons. Then he moves to the center of the room and crouches as if he is sitting on a chair.

Beetee imitates Gale's voice and usual demeanor. “Those appetizer were dope and legit!” Then he switches position and pretends to be Johanna. “I don't usually support lunch because it's unfair to breakfast.” He gets back to be Gale. “I've never thought about meals fighting each other.” he says in wonderment.

As I watch him talk, the room around us morphs into a rendition of the diner's interior, while Beetee actually turns into Gale.

“I guess this is why you never see any two of them on the same table,” he says.

Beetee's orange outline runs from Gale to Johanna. “So I guess Katniss would really like us together.”

Back to Gale. “She probably doesn't understand people. I don't know why she thought I might be romantically interested in you.” He shrugs.

Back to Johanna. “Well, the sooner the food comes, the sooner this will be over.”

The waiter arrives to their table, and Beetee jumps inside him. “I'm afraid your food won't be ready for another half hour. I'm too busy misunderstanding the whole point of Die Hard.”

Back to Gale. He looks longingly in the distance. “I can't wait to get home to Beetee.”

I need to interrupt this stupid game. “So what? You can dart back and forth doing impressions of our friends. There's no science at work here.”

The simulation gradually disappears. Beetee stands up, back at being himself. “You're right.” he says. “The science is at work in here.” He walks to a little walk-in closet and opens it. Inside there are carton tubes attached to each other with duct tape. “This is the Dreamatorium's engine. My thoughts are collected in this box.” He points a green box with his name written on it. “What I know about my friends is stored here.” Another box saying other people. “Both are distilled by logic and then recombines into objective observation. I'm able to simulate any of the study group and even a half accurate Cray in over seven thousand unique situations.”

“Beetee, it's cardboard and a funnel.” I point out.

“You see it that way because it's calibrated to a specific level of brain function.”

I'm offended. “Oh, right. I'm stupid.”

“Not stupid.” Beetee says. “Just less able to see what I see.

This statement doesn't calm me. It actually has the opposite effect. “You've got it all figured out, huh?”

My phone beeping with an incoming call distracts me from the tirade I was about to spit out. I leave the room.

It's Gale. Checking on Beetee, making sure he's okay. Asking me to make sure his bestie is comfortable because he worries about him when he is not around.

I'm incredibly annoyed.”He's fine! He'll always be!” I almost shout. “He just implied that I work on a lower brain function, so business as usual. I don't understand why people bend over backwards to take care of him.”

“He's just extra sensitive in the Dreamatorium.” Gale defends him. “It takes a lot out of him to run that thing. I don't want you to break his brain.”

I roll my eyes. “Bye, Gale.” I say, and hang up.

I barge back in.

Beetee is intent on something in the engine/tube construction. “I've been thinking about our Mockingjay scenario. Perhaps it would be better if you played the Clone Maiden. She was in two scene and only had three lines.”

I look at him with squinted eyes. “I have a better idea.” I march to the thing. “Your scenarios would be a lot more realistic if you'd take all your thoughts and logic and add one step to the process.”

He watches me closely as I take the other people box. “What are you doing?” he asks me with a mix of confusion and alarm.

“From now on, before you do or say anything, you're gonna think about how it affects the people around you. We lower functioning brain call it empathy.” As I talk I switch the box in my hand with the Beetee one, that I put where the other was.

Beetee suddenly starts letting out a high pitched whimper.

I look at him, alarmed. “Beetee?”

The whimper turns into a scream as Beetee start hitting the side of his head. Then, as suddenly as he began, he stops and falls to the ground, completely still.

Fuck. Did I just break Beetee?

I run to his side, shaking him and calling his name. “Do you remember when you wanted me to tell you when you were scary weird instead of cute weird?” I tell him. “'Cause this is scary weird.”

He blinks twice, then looks at me in confusion. “Katniss?”

I sigh in relief and help him stand up.

“Hello, Katniss.” Okay, this tone doesn't sound at all like Beetee's. This is not good. “What was I doing on the floor? Were we... doing it?” He gives me a devilishly handsome smirk.

“Are you being Peeta, now?” I ask him.

As soon as the question is out, Beetee morphs into Peeta, broad shoulders, blond curls, and all. “Well, I'm not being a Kardashian,” he jokes.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. I didn't break him. I just caused one of his usual breakdown. “Where are we now?” I ask, annoyed.

“We're in the rangers' lounge of Greenmeadow National Park.” Beetee/Peeta says as his clothes change to a ranger uniform and the Dreamatorium becomes a wooden cabin. I'm back in my Mockingjay outfit instead of the black jumpsuit I used as her uniform.

“A national park?”

He nods. “It's a sexy emotional park where rangers save nature and make love, often simultaneously. Our stories, ripped from the headlines. Our passion, unbridled. Our coffee...” he says, looking at the coffee maker in a corner of the room, “eh.” He dramatically turns to me, getting so close to me that our bodies are only a few millimeters from each other. “Make love to me, Kat.” He cups my face in both his hands and I have to restrain myself not to melt into his sudden touch. “I know I'm just a ranger and you're a hotshot park manager. But damn the rules, damn the system, damn our completely incompatible body types. I want you.”

I shake myself out of the spell Peeta's closeness and words cast on me. I need to remember this is not Peeta, but Beetee playing him.

I push away his hands. “I get it, Beetee. We have different sensibilities.” I turn around and walk away. I don't want to spend another second with him.

I'm in the living room, halfway to my bedroom, when I stop dead in my tracks. Beetee is not following me, as he usually would do when someone leaves the Dreamatorium before the simulation's over. I don't even hear a sound coming from the room.

It's not a good sign.

I huff and walk back in the rangers' lounge.

Peeta is still here, still looking at me with his passionate gaze.

I sigh. This man child is really getting on my nerves. “Okay, ranger Peeta. Do you know where I can find Beetee? I owe him an apology.”

Peeta's brow furrows as he shakes his head. “Beetee? Never heard of him.”

I roll my eyes. Awesome. Let's see if playing along can help. I square my shoulders and raise my chin, commanding. “I asked you a question, officer.”

“I'm a ranger!” Peeta shouts.

“And I'm your manager!”

“I left my wife for you and she was pregnant!”

I squint my eyes at him. “Who you think paid the doctor who inseminated her?”

The 'horrible' realization makes Peeta take a step back, in shock.

“Now tell me what I want to know or God as my witness, I'll have your badge.” I say in a demanding tone.

“Fine.” he barks. “Dr. Mason might know. Dreamatorium, render environment bio lab.”

An orange electric blur crosses the room, and the wooden cabin turns into an high-tech lab.

“Look,” Peeta says, “there's Gale and Johanna, the biologists working for the park, fooling around with each other.”

Yes, Gale and Johanna are here, dressed in white lab coats, awkwardly touching each other's face.

So if Beetee says that he sees something, that thing appears? Well, I can do that to. I point to his left. “Look, there's Beetee having overcome his issues.”

Peeta looks at me with a deadpan expression. “Nice try.”

Beetee's outline leaves Peeta and darts to Johanna. “We've just discovered an antidote for the terrible fungus that is killing the vegetation in the park.”

The outline jumps to Gale. “Using an unapproved procedure. Now, we're going to kiss.” He turns to Johanna, bends down as well as he can from his towering height, and make a strange sound, opening his mouth in an o shape. He darts back and forth between the two of them, doing the same sound over and over.

I have to resist the urge to throw up. This doesn't even remotely look like two people sharing a kiss, but I definitely don't want to see, or think, about Gale and Johanna making out. There are some thing a friend should never see.

“This is what you think I want?” I ask Beetee.

Johanna turns towards me dramatically. “What do you want, manager?”

“I want to talk to Beetee.”

“There's no one here by that name.” Gale says.

I glare at him. “You're lying.”

He shrugs. “Maybe I am. So what? I was raised on the mean street of the Seam. I'm not scared of you.”

Think fast, Katniss. What would make Beetee work with you? How can you lure him out of his hiding place?

The idea flashes through my mind in a nanosecond, and immediately a syringe appears on the laboratory table next to me. I grab it and plunge it in Gale's arm, pushing the piston. “Sodium pentothal. Commonly know as truth serum.” I announce. “Now tell me everything.”

Gale's face scrunches up in a last effort to resist the substance running through his veins. It is useless, though. Soon, he is spilling words as a fountain spills water. “I saw Beetee's name in the park files. I love butt stuff. I hate spiders. I stole a pen from the bank. I cried during About a Boy... the soundtrack...” He bites his lips not to cry. He sniffs and keeps talking. “Once I didn't wash my hand after touching some disgusting thingie I found during an inspection in the park. I can see why women find Clive Owen attractive and I might just as well be attracted to him. I use comparison to Hitler to win arguments on the internet at the drop of a hat. I know nothing about wine. I'm more turned on by women in pajamas than lingerie, I like that they feel comfortable. I didn't get Inception. I didn't get Inception! So many layers!”

By this point he has started sobbing uncontrollably. But I don't have time to console him. We need to stay on the topic. “You said you saw his name in the files. We need to find them!”

I turn to Peeta and he nods. “Dreamatorium, render environment archive study room.”

The lab disappears and in its place is our study room, where the majority of the study group's adventures start. Annie and Haymitch are here.

“Look, there's the head ranger, Annie, talking to Haymitch Abernathy, the alcoholic, Pulitzer Prize nominee who got lost during an excursion in the park last week and was found only today.”

“Mr. Abernathy, what were you doing sitting in that cave?” she asks the older man.

He slurs, visibly intoxicated. “I thought 'twas a train.”

I walk to Annie, impatient. “Annie, get me the file on Beetee.”

She looks at me in confusion. “Beetee doesn't exist, my friend.”

I grit my teeth. “He exists if I say so. This is my park.”

Annie clicks her tongue. “Your park is a simulation being run through a filter of other people's needs. Beetee's been filtered out because nobody wants him around.”

This shocks me. Does he really think that about us? About himself? “I want him around.”

“Well, you're not simulated.” Annie retorts.

I square my shoulder again. Apparently, the only way to obtain something from Beetee is if I'm a demanding boss. “No,” I start, “but this is!” I slap the air.

Annie's head snaps to the side with a second delay, her hand clutching her red cheek.

“There's more where that didn't came from.” I state.

“This is a private compartment!” Haymitch shouts.

I ignore him, focusing on Peeta. “Get the files.” I order him.

He lifts his right eyebrow. “Why me?” he asks.

“Because you can see the cabinets.” If I make Beetee think that I believe everything he says while he's playing Peeta, perhaps it will be easier to get what I want. But Peeta keeps looking at me with his raised eyebrow, expectant. I scrub my face and huff. “And I'll make love to you.”

He pumps his fist in the air. Apparently I'm not the only one hot on getting two members of the group together.

Peeta walks to a random cabinet behind him and immediately fishes out a file. He browses the papers, his brow furrowing the more he goes on. “There is a Beetee in the park, but he's not a ranger.” He pauses, looking at me in astonishment. “He's a missing hiker.”

Suddenly Annie screams. “Notify security!”

“Conductor!” Haymitch blares after her.

I run to Peeta and hastily grab his hand. “Please, enough with this game.” I say. “Take me where I want to go.”

Peeta looks at me for a second, his eyes then falling on our joined hands. “Follow me.” He leads me out of the study room. “You should probably run in place and let the hall move around you.”

I do as I'm told, and the hall starts sliding quickly. We arrive at a glass door and barge through it.

And suddenly we are on a beach at sunset, wearing our white bathing suits. A pretty motif is playing in the background.

“What's this music?” I ask Peeta.

“It's your theme. It plays every time we have an interaction written to enrich our story arch.” he answers.

“Where are we?” I ask, confused.

“Exactly where you wanted to be.” Peeta says. “The last day of the study group's vacation, first year. The night we kissed.”

I remember that day. We had separated from the others, deciding to go for a walk on the beach. We were sitting on the foreshore, the waves lapping our toes, when Peeta addressed the fact that he was glad I hadn't gotten through with my decision to move to Capitol College. He said that without me the group would have probably died out. I told him that it wasn't true, that the group would have survived my departure. He retorted that that would have happened had he been the one to live. Because no one in the study group really needs him. I replied that I did. I need him. And then we kissed. The best damn kiss of my entire life.

But something else strikes me right now. “Beetee wasn't there, so whose memory is this?” I ask.

Peeta shrugs. “Maybe it's yours.” he says. “Maybe the Dreamatorium really works. Or maybe Finnick was watching from the treeline and told Beetee about it.”

I turn towards the trees planted next to the beach to offer some shelter to the bathers during the hottest hours of the day. Sure enough, Finnick is there, hiding behind a large trunk. He leans forward and says, “We don't have cable at home.”

I turn back to Peeta, suddenly pissed. Is it because I just found out that someone was spying on Peeta and me in such a private moment? Or perhaps because Beetee is using it against me, to make me give up my search for him? “Knock if off, Beetee.”

Peeta shakes his head slightly, still looking at me with the same eyes of that day on the beach. “I'm not Beetee. You're confused, as I was. But not anymore.” He cups my cheek in his left hand and leans towards me.

His closeness, like earlier, sends my senses in overdrive. A spark runs from the place where his hand is resting to all my extremities. “Peeta...” I whisper.

Wait. No. What the hell am I doing? This is not Peeta!

I shake his hand off and take a step back. “Beetee, stop! I don't wanna do this.” The music around us stops.

“Are you sure about that?” he smirks.

I don't understand how that face can make me go weak at the knees. “I mean...” I shake myself again. I can't be deterred right now. “That's not the point.” I say as firmly as I can. “I want to talk to Beetee. I'm taking the files.” I mimic grabbing the folder Peeta is holding and browse through it. “Aha! It says that Beetee was taken to the ranger lounge after he was found earlier this morning. Condition: never better.”

Peeta gives a breathy laugh. “You're not holding anything.” He shakes his head and holds up the file in front of me. He opens it up and starts reading. “Beetee Latier, missing hiker 1373. Control freak with no empathy. People bend over backwards to take care of him. Signed, park manager Katniss Everdeen.” He shows me the paper with my signature.

I should be concerned that Beetee knows how to forge my signature, but at the moment it's something else that causes me to worry. He overheard what I told Gale on the phone earlier. Of course he wouldn't want to talk to me. I'm the biggest jerk ever. “That's out of context.” I try to defend myself, knowing that I shouldn't.

Peeta shushes me and wraps an arm around me. The music starts all over again. “You thought about everything, Katniss. With Beetee gone and Gale and Johanna together there's nothing standing in our way.”

I'm confused. “What?”

“This is your dream, Katniss. This is why you played wingman for Gale. This is what's important to you.” He leans forward again, this time trying to kiss me.

I shove him off of me, enraged. “You are not Peeta!” I shout. “Because Peeta cares about Beetee. And I didn't push Gale and Johanna together so this would happen.” I move my hand between us. “I did it because I thought they were missing a chance to see if something could happen, and this would have been a bonus.”

Peeta lifts his eyebrow and smiles. Damn me and my big mouth.

I keep talking, aggravated. “We are not here. And I'm not staying here because I hate whoever you are!”

I walk away.

“You should probably storm off in place.” Beetee says.

But it's too late. I bang my head against the wall of the Dreamatorium, where the treeline starts, and fall on my ass.

The beach disappears. We are back in our apartment.

“Where do you wanna go next?” Beetee asks.

I massage my forehead. I'm so tired of his games right now. “I wanna be alone,” I mumble.

“Sounds good to me. Dreamatorium, execute simulation Katniss/Katniss.”

The Dreamatorium morphs once again. This time it's the study room.

“There,” I hear my voice say. “Now we're alone.”

I turn around to see a copy of me smiling. Gosh, how irritating can Beetee get? “Great, now you're me,” I say, standing up to face him.

“Why are you blowing our magic moment with Peeta?” she asks me, angry.

I roll my eyes. “It's not magic. It's not even real.”

My copy smiles. “But we love Peeta.”

“Not like this!” I spit out. “Not to the point that we play with our friends' lives to get what we want. We prefer to get lost in the memories that we share with Peeta, and we keep running the same scenario over and over hoping for a different result, dreaming that we had the guts back then to act on our feelings.”

She puts a hand on her chest. “Running scenarios? Careful now, you're starting to sound like Beetee.”

A sudden epiphany hits me. I sound like Beetee. What if I take it to the next level and start acting like him, just like he is acting like me?

“So... I shouldn't be saying things like...” I try to imitate Beetee's monotone voice as best as I can. “Star Wars. Mockingjay. Cougar Town. Cool, cool, cool.”

My copy looks at me with a mixture of fear and disbelief. “Stop it!”

But I'm on a mission now. Beetee is not the only one that can use the Dreamatorium to make things the way he wants them. “Pop culture, pop culture!” I say. “I'm on a TV show.”

“You're gonna get in trouble!”

Right in that moment, I turn into Beetee, colorful sweater and t-shirt and all. “Meta, meta.”

My copy steps back, terrified. “It's Beetee! I got a Beetee here!” she screams.

Cray, the campus head of security appears next to me. Beetee outline jumps on him. He grabs my arm forcefully. “That's it. I find you guilty of being Beetee. You're under arrest.”

He drags me into the hall, to a row of lockers. We stop in front of a locker covered in danger signs. Cray opens it and shoves me inside with a maniacal laugh.

The inside looks nothing like a locker. Mostly because it's as big as my bedroom. The place is completely empty except a figure slumped against the gray, metal wall, his wrist cuffed to a metal ring.

I recognize the outfit of the Crafter. “Beetee?”

He looks up at me, confused. “Beetee.”

I finally found him. The real Beetee, not the one being mean to our friends. I'm so relieved. “Yeah! I found you by turning into you. How cool is that?”

He looks away. He doesn't seem as thrilled as I am about this newfound ability of mine. “Cool. Cool, cool, cool.” His catchphrase doesn't have the usual wonder in it.

“Where are we?” I ask, casting a glance around us.

“We're inside a locker.” he deadpans. “It's where I spent a lot of time during high school.”

I turn back to be myself. Why would he think any of us, in this case me, would lock him in here? “You know how absurd it is to think that this is where we'd put you?”

“Well, I'm not stupid.” he says. “You can see I've increased the square footage. It's a metaphorical locker. It's a place where people like me are put when everyone has finally had enough of us.”

I roll my eyes. He's so dramatic sometimes.

Beetee keeps talking. “I've run the simulations, Katniss. I don't get married. I don't invent a billion dollar website to help people have sex. I don't make it into Sundance, Slamdance or Dance Pants. Gale invents Dance Pants in 2019, but don't tell him. He needs to stumble onto it.”

I need to stop his rambling. “All right, listen. The scenarios you run in here are great science fiction. They're impressive, detailed, insightful. But they're not accurate at all. Science fiction never has been. Look at 2001. Did we get a space odyssey? Nope. We just got snowboarding in the Olympics. Your simulations are just your anxieties. You're afraid you won't fit in and that you'll be alone. I got news for you. It's the same for all of us. So you'll never be alone and you'll always fit it.”

He looks at me with a sad, little face. But I can see the start of a new hope at the back of his eyes.

I keep talking. “I meddled with Gale and Johanna because I was trying to make life go according to a script. But I can't. You can't. We both need to get more used to winging it. It'll be less work.”

We share a little smile. Here it is, my weird friend.

“Let's get you out of here,” I tell him.

“I don't know how.” he says looking at his handcuffs. “These fake shackles don't have a fake key.”

I crouch down beside him. “Isn't that what a plasma spear is for?” I ask him holding up the weapon of the Crafter, materialized out of nowhere.

Beetee smiles a little. “Technically, no. But that's fine.”

I point the spear at the shackles. A ray of plasma energy sprouts out of the tip of the weapon, hitting the handcuffs and destroying them, freeing Beetee.

He massages his wrists.

“So, should we get back to lunch?” I ask him.

He cocks his head to the side. “I guess so. A bit more anticlimactic than I would have simulated it, but whatever.”

I scoff. “Anticlimactic? Dreamatorium, execute simulation Battle of the Tree Island.”

Standing up next to the Crafter, the Mockingjay juts her hand out to him. “The Reasoner and the Hunter have opened up a path for us.” she says. “What do you say, Crafter, should we go free our people?”

The Crafter looks up at her. He sees the determination in her eyes, the perspiration on her face, her black combat suit covered in dirt and blood. A new hope blossoms in the Crafter's heart. He'll stand with the Mockingjay till his last breath.

He grabs her hand and stands up.

They scream their battle cry, launching themselves against the Men in White. The Mockingjay grabs one of them by the neck and starts punching him in the guts.

“Katniss!” the man cry out in pain.

I immediately stop my assault and let go of Beetee. “Oh, my God! I'm so sorry!”

I help Beetee stand up. “No, no.” he says. “You're committing. This is good stuff.”

We share a big smile. I guess that I understand why Beetee and Gale think that this room is so special.