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Chapter Text

“Good morning Mrs. Mellark.”

Katniss opened her eyes to find a pair of blue eyes staring back at her.

She shifted her head on the pillow and smiled back at Peeta, biting her lower lip. A slight blush appeared on her cheeks as she remembered the previous evening.

Two months ago, she had married Peeta in a big Capitol wedding at the conclusion of The Match Game television show.

At the time of their marriage Katniss had strong feelings for him, but since their wedding and subsequent return to District 12, her feelings had grown. She knew now that she truly loved Peeta, an emotion Katniss did not take lightly. And expressing that love had become a big part of the newlyweds’ lives.

She was glad for the gift of a golden mockingjay pin encrusted with red stones that Gates, the contestant from District 3, had given her as a wedding present. When a switch on the back of the pin was turned on, it emitted a high frequency sound that jammed all cameras and audio recording devices within 50 feet.

The pin had helped Katniss and Peeta keep their privacy as the newlyweds got to know each other. Their neighbor, Haymitch Abernathy, the winner of the 50th Hunger Games show, had warned them when they first moved into their Victor’s Village home that there were cameras set in the walls throughout their house. He’d even offered to go through it with them to locate and destroy the cameras. But when they saw the gaping holes left behind in the walls of Haymitch’s living room they’d decided to rely on the pin alone to keep things private.

“Just a moment,” Katniss murmured as Peeta reached for her hip to pull her closer. She twisted her body away from Peeta and toward the nightstand where the pin sat and reached for the switch.

“We’re good to go,” she said as she rolled back to face him, a delicious feeling of anticipation settling over her. She was enjoying married life much more than she’d ever thought she would.

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An hour later the couple was in kitchen eating blueberry muffins and discussing their plans for the day, including the small dinner party they were hosting that evening.

One of the bonuses of starring in The Match Game was that Katniss had been awarded a substantial monthly stipend for the rest of her life. Peeta, however, received nothing other than marriage to the woman of his dreams.

And while that alone was plenty, Peeta didn’t feel comfortable living entirely off Katniss’ money. He continued to work regularly in his family’s bakery.

“I have to meet the train this morning,” Peeta said. “I promised my dad I’d pick up the supply order.”

“I’ll go with you. I have something to pick up as well.” Peeta had recently commented that he’d always wanted to try his hand at painting. Katniss had secretly ordered some paints, brushes, a few blank canvases, and a folding easel as a gift for him.

The couple left their house, locking the door behind them. Peeta stopped first to leave a basket filled with leftover muffins in front of Haymitch’s front door before they set off toward town, a one-mile walk.

“What do you have to get at the station?” Peeta asked as the couple hiked to the bakery to pick up a handcart.

When Katniss shook her head and didn’t respond, he reached out to grab her side, tickling her.

“Stop,” she squealed, pushing him away with her hands. “It’s a present for you.”

“Really, you got me a present?” Peeta was pleased. “When will you give it to me?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe tonight if you’re good.”

“Good at what?” Peeta winked at her.

Katniss snorted and shook her head at her husband. He could be so silly, like a little boy sometimes.

When they reached the bakery’s backdoor, Peeta went inside, while Katniss stayed out. After a minute, Mr. Mellark opened the door and waved. She waved back. He was the only member of Peeta’s family that was genuinely friendly to her.

Peeta’s mother, who’d attacked both of them in the bakery’s tiny office during the filming of The Match Game, ignored Katniss. She didn’t acknowledge her son’s marriage in anyway. His two older brothers were civil to her at least, but they had their own concerns. The oldest was married and worked for his wife’s family, while Rye, who still worked at the bakery, spent his free time entertaining the single women of District 12.

Peeta soon came outside and got the handcart out of the shed. The train station was humming with activity when they arrived.

Passengers had left the coach cars to stretch their legs and were milling about. Ever since Seneca Crane had taken over as president after the assassination of President Coriolanus Snow a few years earlier, travel between the districts had been allowed, although it was expensive.

At the front of the train, Katniss noted a car bearing Capitol markings. “I hope Madge and Gale can make it tonight,” she said, pointing out the Capitol car. Capitol visitors meant fancy dinners at the mayor’s residence, something Madge, who was the mayor’s daughter, and her husband Gale would be expected to attend.

Peeta shook his head. “If there was something going on at the mayor’s house the bakery would be making a cake for it. And we aren’t.”

“Good.” Katniss was excited about the evening ahead. It was the first dinner they’d ever hosted as couple. Besides Madge and Gale, they’d also invited Thom and Leevy. All three couples had recently gotten married.

The workers were already unloading supplies from the cargo cars. Katniss and Peeta split up, each in search of their order.

Next to the box of art supplies, Katniss saw a small box addressed to Haymitch. She picked it up. Might as well deliver it to her neighbor.

After a stop at the bakery to deliver the sacks of flour and sugar and put the handcart back into the shed, Katniss handed Haymitch’s small package to Peeta to hold.

He eyed the bulky package in Katniss’ arms. “I can carry the bigger one.”

She shook her head. “I don’t want you shaking it and guessing what’s inside.”

“Do I have to wait until after dinner to open it?”

“Yes.”

“Well, it’s going to be an awfully quick meal then.”

It was already afternoon by the time the couple arrived back at Victor’s Village.

Peeta climbed the steps to Haymitch’s house to drop off the small package, while Katniss waited at the bottom. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He waited a minute and pounded. Still nothing. He set the box down on the landing and walked down the stairs.

“No answer. He’s probably drunk.”

“Maybe he’s not up yet.”

“No, he must have gotten up. The muffins are gone.”

The couple walked back to their own house. When they reached the top of their stairs, they noticed the front door was partly open.

Katniss let out a tiny shriek, nearly dropping the package in her arms. “I’m sure we locked it.”

Peeta reached for the box in Katniss’ arms and set it on the ground next to the door. “Wait for me at the bottom of the stairs.” His voice was low.

“Why?”

“I’ll go in and check it out.” Peeta pushed gently at the door.

“No, Peeta. I’m going with you.”

He turned to her and shook his head. “Stay outside. It’s not safe.”

“That’s exactly why I’m going in.”

“Katniss, I don’t want you to get hurt if there’s someone inside.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’ll be fine. My bow and arrows are in the coat closet near the door.

Peeta started to open his mouth to speak but Katniss rested her hand on the door pushing it further. “Let’s stop arguing.”

Peeta frowned, but he covered her hand and together they pushed the door open.

The pair stepped inside the tiled entryway. It looked exactly as they’d left it. Katniss’ leather hunting jacket was hanging on a hook on the wall next to Peeta’s coat. Her hunting boots were tossed onto the floor near the wall.

They slowly made their way down the entry hall. Katniss froze for a moment, staring at her husband. His tread was loud, as if he was deliberately stomping his feet.

“Can you take your shoes off?”

“Now?” Peeta’s tone was one of disbelief.

“Yes. I will too. That way we’ll both be quieter.”

They stopped for a moment, removing their shoes and setting them alongside the wall. They inched forward in their socks. When they reached the coat closet, Katniss put her hand on the knob and slowly opened the door, reaching for her bow and quiver of arrows. She pulled the strap of the quiver over her shoulder, and pushed the door shut. She grabbed an arrow from her bag and put it in position ready to shoot if necessary.

They entered the living room, stopping for a moment to survey the scene. Nothing was out-of-place except for the patchwork quilt that Katniss’ mother and Prim had made for them as a wedding gift. It had been folded across the back of the sofa. Now it was crumpled into a heap sitting on the seat of a nearby armchair.

Peeta turned in the direction of the kitchen. Katniss followed him, her eyes scanning the dining room carefully; ready to shoot any intruder who would attack Peeta.

Katniss watched in amazement as her husband entered the kitchen and opened a drawer to pull out a rolling pin.

“Really Peeta?” she scoffed.

“I need a weapon too, Katniss.”

“A rolling pin isn’t a weapon.”

“Have you ever been hit with one?”

Katniss shook her head apologetically, remembering that a rolling pin was the weapon of choice his mother had used on him throughout his childhood.

The pair made their way out of the kitchen and looked through the entire lower level of the house. There was no evidence of anything missing, and only the quilt had been moved. They made their way upstairs, checking out the other three guestrooms and lastly their own large bedroom. When they entered it, they noticed that the curtains blocking one of the windows had been pushed aside and the screen was removed and lying on the sloping roof outside the window.

“Did you close the window before we left?” Peeta liked to sleep with a window open, but he usually closed it every morning.

“I may have forgot.” He turned to Katniss. “I’m sorry.”

Katniss wondered if the intruder had taken anything from their home. Other than her bow and arrows and the mockingjay pin on her shirt, she had little of real value. Still she rushed to their shared dresser and opened the top draw where she kept the rings she and Peeta had exchanged in their Capitol wedding ceremony. Neither wore the rings as the exchange of bands wasn’t a District 12 tradition. But they were made of gold and would certainly have monetary value if someone were to sell them at The Hob.

However both rings were still sitting in their velvet-lined boxes.

“Why would someone break into our house if they didn’t take anything?” Katniss wondered aloud.

“I don’t know.” Peeta leaned out of the open window, picked up the screen and fitted it back into place, before slamming the window shut.

The couple made their way downstairs. Katniss picked up the patchwork blanket lying on the armchair. She refolded it and placed it over the back of the sofa. A faint floral scent hung in the air.

“Well whoever was here is gone now,” Katniss said. “We better start cooking. Our guests will be here in a couple of hours.”

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Katniss was setting the table when the first couple arrived. She opened the door to Gale and Madge.

Despite Katniss’ anger at Gale when he had surprised her with the news that he was in love with Madge while he was a contestant on The Match Game, the two had managed to keep their friendship intact. But things were still a bit awkward between Katniss and Madge.

Katniss was hoping this get-together would help ease the strain in their relationship.

“Hello,” Katniss greeted the couple that stood on her porch. Gale was neatly dressed and his hair combed perfectly. He was starting to match his wife, who as the daughter of the mayor had always dressed fashionably.

“Here Catnip,” Gale said, handing her two bottles of wine.

Katniss’ eyes opened wide at the sight.

“We pinched them from my father’s cellar,” Madge explained.

“Thank you,” Katniss said, cradling the bottles in her arms. She took a step backwards and invited the couple inside.

It was the first time Gale and Madge had been inside the Victor’s Village house. Gale whistled as they exited the entryway and entered the living room.

“This place is huge.”

“And it all could have been yours,” Madge said, elbowing her husband.

Katniss and Gale exchanged an awkward glance. Katniss didn’t know exactly what Gale had said to Madge, but it was clear that her friend knew that Katniss had originally set her sights on her husband.

“It never would have happened,” Gale said, putting his arm around Madge and pulling her close. “You already had me trapped.”

Madge giggled and turned her face toward Gale. He bent down and kissed her, lingering longer than Katniss found comfortable watching.

She turned away, guessing that Gale was trying to smooth things over with Madge. But still she was uncomfortable all the same to see her friends’ display of affection.

Another knock on the door. Katniss reached out one hand carefully, so as not to drop the wine bottles, and opened the door for Thom and Leevy.

“Welcome,” she said, motioning with her head for the pair to enter the house. “Gale and Madge are already here.”

The two couples greeted each other in the living room. Katniss smiled, wondering where Peeta was. Immediately she heard a thumping sound and saw that Peeta was at the foot of the stairs. His hair was still wet from the shower.

He quickly made his way to her side, smiling and reaching for the necks of the wine bottles that lay in her arms.

“They’re from Madge and Gale.”

“We can serve them with dinner.”

Within minutes all three couples were sitting at the rectangular dining table. Katniss had set the food out in platters and Peeta had poured the red wine.

Everyone sipped at the beverage; it was a real treat for them. Thom and Leevy, in fact had never had wine before.

Conversation flowed. Thom talked of activities in the mines and Leevy spoke about her job at the new medicine factory.

After Peeta opened the second bottle, Madge complimented him on the delicious meal and then Katniss bragged to all of them that the recipe for it was to be included in the cookbook of family recipes that Peeta had put together that would be published in a few months.

Peeta thanked Madge for kind words and the conversation fell silent.

Gale drained his glass before shifting the conversation to national news, the recent murder of two former Hunger Games winners, the victors of District 6.

A week earlier, they had been found stabbed in their homes. The national news announcer had focused on the irony that victors who had managed to kill so many others in the arena would themselves be victims of a murder. As of yet, there were no suspects to the crime.

“The victors are beginning to drop like flies,” Leevy said. “Didn’t Lyme in Two pass last month?”

“But she wasn’t murdered,” Gale insisted. “The ones in Six were.” He looked at Katniss and Peeta. “You should keep your eyes and ears open since you live next to the only victor in Twelve.”

Katniss exchanged a nervous glance with Peeta. Was their home invasion somehow connected?

“We see him nearly everyday,” Peeta remarked.

When everyone finished eating, Peeta stood up and began to clear the dirty plates from the table. Katniss joined him.

“Everyone seems to be having a good time,” Peeta said as he picked up the blueberry cobbler on the counter. Katniss nodded, wiping her forehead with a towel. She was feeling warm.

Peeta leaned over and kissed cheek. “They’ll be gone soon enough Katniss.” His voice was low and suddenly she didn’t feel like serving dessert to her guests. She was ready to kick them out of her house and go upstairs with Peeta.

After dessert their guests seemed to have the same idea as Katniss and Peeta. With their bellies full, the two couples appeared in a hurry to leave. No one was interested in moving into the living room, drinking tea, and continuing their conversation.

Both couples left together. As they were saying their goodbyes on the landing outside the front door, Katniss noticed the package that contained Peeta’s art supplies sitting there. In her worries about the intruder, she’d forgotten all about it.

“We should take your present in,” Katniss said, as their guest descended the stairs. “I forgot all about it.”

“So did I,” Peeta admitted. He carried it inside and leaned it against the living room wall, before going back to the front door to look across the lane at their neighbor’s house.

“What is it?” Katniss asked following him to the door.

He looked across the lane. “It’s odd.”

“What?”

“Haymitch’s house is completely dark.”

Katniss glanced over. Haymitch kept unusual hours. The man was generally asleep half the day and awake most of the night. It was strange that his house was completely dark at 9 p.m. at night. Generally the lights were on in every room as soon as the sun set.

“Maybe we should go over and check up on him.”

Katniss groaned. She wanted to go upstairs with Peeta, not investigate their alcoholic neighbor.

“Do we have to?”

“No, we don’t. But it would be the decent thing to do.”

Katniss frowned. She knew Peeta was right. Especially after Gale’s conversation, although she doubted anyone would kill Haymitch. He was gladly doing that to himself. His sloppy lifestyle made him a candidate for trouble.

“Maybe he left to visit someone?”

“Who Katniss? He doesn’t have any friends but us.”

Sadly, Katniss suspected Peeta was right. The Hunger Games winner was haunted by his time on that t.v. show. Katniss’ mother, who had known the man in her youth, had always said that Haymitch had come home different than he’d left.

“You’re right,” Katniss muttered, more to herself than Peeta. “Let’s go now.”

The single lane that ran between the two rows of houses was well-lit despite the fact that only two houses were occupied. There were streetlamps every few feet that turned on at dusk every evening and went off at dawn every morning. It had been quite a novelty to Katniss who had grown up in the Seam that had no light after dark other than the stars overhead.

Peeta, who had grown up in lodgings over the bakeshop was used to looking out over the square and seeing it lit up in the evenings. But even the town square was not as lit up as brightly as the Victor’s Village at night.

They were soon at Haymitch’s door. “He never even came out for his package,” Katniss noted.

Peeta pounded on the heavy wooden door. No answer.

“Where can he be?” he muttered.

Peeta went down the stairs, with Katniss close at his heels. He circled to the back of the house, finding a window that was partially open. He put his hand out and pushed it open further.

“I’m too big to climb in, but you can probably fit.”

Katniss winced. Climbing in the window of Haymitch’s house was the last thing she wanted to do, especially while wearing a dress. “All right,” she grudgingly agreed.

Peeta laced his hands together and squatted. Katniss put one foot into his hands and he stood up lifting her to the window. She reached out with her hands to hold onto the frame and pull herself through. Peeta grabbed her waist, steadying her, and then pushing her forward.

Katniss tumbled forward into the darkened room. She found herself landing onto a mountain of clothing that smelled of alcohol. If someone were to toss a match on it, she suspected it would burst into flames.

“Katniss, are you okay?”

“Yes.” She stood up and peered out the window at Peeta.

“Unlock the door so I can get in.”

“Right.”

She located the door and opened it to let Peeta in.

Immediately Peeta reached for the light switch near to the door.

Katniss blinked and gazed around the laundry area. She’d never been in this room of Haymitch’s house before. It was a mess. Piles of dirty laundry everywhere.

“It smells in here,” Peeta said as he surveyed the room.

“Let’s find Haymitch.” Katniss was eager to leave the foul odor behind.

Peeta led the way into the kitchen and turned on the light. The room wasn’t any cleaner. The sink was filled with dirty pans and plates of half-rotting food sat on the counters.

“Phew.” Peeta walked past her and towards the dining room. “Haymitch, where are you,” he called.

The pantry door was open and Katniss glanced inside the tiny room. The shelves were surprisingly empty, unlike the pantry in their house. Peeta had taken advantage of the space, filling it with enough baking supplies that he could probably run a bakery out of their home. For Katniss, who’d grown up hungry, that room was a physical reminder of Peeta’s love for her. No matter how bad things got, she would never starve again. Peeta could always make something for her to eat.

Her eyes glanced downward and she screamed. “He’s in here Peeta.”

She rushed forward, squatting next to Haymitch. He was lying on his side on the floor. His body was still.

Hearing her husband’s heavy tread behind her, she turned toward him.

“I think Haymitch is dead.”

Chapter Text

Peeta came closer and squatted down next to Katniss. Cautiously he laid his hand on the victor’s arm. “He’s still warm.”

Suddenly a loud gurgling noise rose from Haymitch’s throat. Startled, Katniss fell backwards as the victor began spewing fluid from the side of his mouth.

The reek of stomach acids combined with spirits nearly brought Katniss’ dinner up.

She scooted backwards on the dirty floor, as Peeta bent forward onto his knees, reaching for the victor and pulling him into a sitting position. A spray of puke flew onto Peeta’s cheek. Hastily, he brushed it away.

Katniss got to her feet and stumbled through the kitchen and laundry room to open the back door. She stood there for a few moments inhaling the clean night air before grabbing a towel from the pile of laundry on the floor. Even if it was dirty, they needed something to use to clean Haymitch.

She returned to the pantry to find her husband cradling the victor in an upright position.

“Smells,” Haymitch muttered.

“Let’s get you cleaned up,” Peeta said, as Katniss handed him the towel.

But as Peeta dabbed at the man’s face and then moved down to his neckline, the victor cried out in pain. “My shoulder.”

Peeta twisted Haymitch’s body, gently laying him back onto the floor.

Katniss bent over to unbutton Haymitch’s dark shirt, pulling it away from his shoulder area. His skin was split apart, like a piece of fruit that had sat in the sun too long. Already the blood was beginning to clot, but it would need to be stitched up.

“How did that happen?” Peeta asked.

Haymitch looked away. “I fell on my knife.”

“How did you...” Katniss’ voice trailed off. She looked around for a knife on the floor but didn’t see one nearby. The explanation was ludicrous.

“It looks serious.” Peeta said. “At the very least, you need stitches.”

Haymitch groaned and looked to Katniss. “Can you do it?”

Katniss shook her head. She was standing in squalor, doing her very best to avoid breathing in the aroma of vomit and rotting garbage, and staring at a gaping wound. It was all she could do not to gag.

“He needs your mother,” Peeta said.

While the thought of having to hike a mile to the Seam this late and then hurry back again was not appealing to her, the thought of staying here with Haymitch while Peeta went for help was even worse.

Katniss got up and left. Close to her mother’s house she came upon Thom and Leevy who were meandering down the path, their hands laced together.

“What’s wrong Katniss?” Thom asked. “Why are you here?”

“Haymitch is hurt. I’m getting my mother.”

“Do you need any help?”

“No.” But she paused for a moment to reconsider. Even though Peeta was strong, Haymitch would require special handling because of his wound. Peeta couldn’t fling the man over his back like a sack of flour and set him down somewhere. And Katniss knew she and her mother and Prim did not have the strength. “Maybe you could help Peeta lift Haymitch,” she said. “He’s lying on the floor of his pantry.”

Thom nodded and said he’d meet Katniss at her mother’s house as soon as he took Leevy home.

When Katniss returned to Victor’s Village with Thom and her mother and Prim, Peeta had torn off Haymitch’s shirt to expose his wound, and cleaned up the vomit that lay on the ground around him.

Peeta and Thom pulled out the drop leaf of the large dining table and positioned it underneath Haymitch to lift him. The older man bit his lower lip as they carried him to the sofa in the living room as Katniss’ mother had instructed.

Once Haymitch was settled, Mrs. Everdeen dismissed them. “Prim and I will take over now.”

Katniss and Peeta bid Thom goodbye for a second time that evening and returned to their home.

“I need a shower,” Peeta said.

Katniss nodded. She wanted to take one as well after tumbling headfirst into Haymitch’s dirty laundry pile.

Later when they had both washed up and were getting ready to turn in, Katniss’ thoughts flew back to their mystery intruder earlier that afternoon. “Who would be going through our house while we’re not here?”

Peeta motioned for her to switch on the mockingjay pin. “Do you think someone from the Capitol came in here to check on the cameras,” he asked.

“Why would you think that?”

“I not sure, but I imagine they’re wondering why they’re working only some of the time.”

Katniss considered the thought. Peeta had a good point. She was switching the pin on and off several times a day, generally during their intimate moments or on a few occasions, like now, when they wanted to keep their conversation private. If someone in the Capitol was monitoring the activities in their house, as Haymitch had suggested, he was probably wondering what was going on.

“Nothing is missing,” Peeta continued. He pulled back the blanket and climbed into bed. “It wasn’t a robbery.”

“That does make sense.” Katniss set the pin onto the nightstand. She plumped up her pillow, and then got into bed. “There was that car on the train today with Capitol markings. Do you think they’ve found some way to override the pin?”

“I hope not,” Peeta said, pulling the blanket over their heads. He reached for Katniss. “But we can’t be too careful,” he said as he met her lips.

Katniss woke up while it was still dark. The first thought in her mind – Haymitch. She should get up and spell her mother and Prim. They were likely exhausted. There were plenty of extra rooms here for them to nap in.

“Where are you going?” Peeta whispered as she quietly dressed.

“To check on my mother and Prim.”

Peeta sat up in the bed and rubbed his eyes. “I’ll make breakfast.

When Katniss arrived at her neighbor’s house she found her mother and Prim sprawled in the matching upholstered armchairs that faced the couch. Haymitch was sleeping bare-chested on the couch, snoring loudly. The slash across his shoulder had been neatly stitched up.

“How is he?” Katniss asked as her mother opened her eyes.

Her mother didn’t answer immediately. Instead she got up and checked on Haymitch, laying a hand on his forehead and then checking his pulse.

“Much better. The knife wound looked bad, but it wasn’t deep enough to cause any damage.

Her forehead wrinkled and her voice lowered. “Where did Haymitch get those muffins?” She pointed to the basket that Peeta had left at the front door the previous morning. It was sitting on a side table near the couch.

“Peeta made them. He put them by Haymitch’s door yesterday morning.

“They need to be destroyed.” Her mother voice was sharp. “Those berries on top are nightlock.”

“They’re not. I picked those berries,” Katniss said. “Peeta and I ate those same muffins yesterday for breakfast. We gave the extras to Haymitch.”

Her mother shook her head. “Look at them carefully Katniss.”

Katniss picked up one of the muffins and saw what her mother meant. Large berries, similar in color to the dark purple blueberries had been pushed into the top of the four muffins. Her father’s voice sounded in her head. Never these. You’ll be dead before they reach your stomach.

“How could that happen?” Katniss was puzzled.

“Has Haymitch been acting unusual lately?”

Katniss shook her head. The man had serious problems. Everything he did was unusual.

“Has he seemed depressed?”

Did her mother think Haymitch was trying to kill himself? That he had put the nightlock berries on top of the muffins. But where would he get the nightlock? It grew in the woods, not in Victor’s Village.

“Is he doing better?” Prim said, blinking the sleep from her eyes.

“He’s fine little duck.” Katniss hoped that Prim hadn’t been listening to their mother’s speculation. Even though her sister was fourteen and already an inch taller than her, Katniss wanted to keep her innocent for as long as possible.

“Where’s Peeta?” her sister asked.

“He’s making breakfast for us.”

“Good, I’m starved.” Prim stood up and stretched.

“I’ll watch Haymitch while you both eat,” Katniss said.

Her mother shook her head. “You don’t need to stay here. I gave him something for his pain that will make him sleep. We can check back after we eat.”

Katniss didn’t need to be persuaded. Before they left, she grabbed the basket of muffins on the side table. While her mother and Prim went inside for breakfast, Katniss disposed of the muffins by throwing them as far as she could over the hedge that surrounded the yard behind her and Peeta’s house.

Everyone was eating pancakes when she got inside. Her mother was questioning Peeta.

“Has his behavior changed recently?”

Peeta shook his head.

Her mother went on to mention the nightlock berries atop the muffins. Peeta’s eyes widened and he exchanged a glance with Katniss, his eyes dropping for a moment to stare at the pin attached to the collar of her shirt.

Knowing what Peeta meant, Katniss excused herself from the table, hurried into the dark pantry to remove the pin, turn it on, and then reattach it to her shirt. She came back to the table holding a jar of jam.

“You’ve been holding out on us Katniss,” Prim said. “I’d like some jam for my pancakes, too.”

Katniss handed the jar to Prim and tipped her head at Peeta to indicate that the pin was now turned on.

“Who would want to kill Haymitch?” Prim asked.

So much for keeping Prim innocent, Katniss thought.

“Maybe it’s the same person who killed those victors in Six,” Prim suggested as she twisted the lid from the jar. “Did you see anyone lurking around here yesterday?”

“We were at the train station for part of the morning,” Katniss said. “We stopped to deliver a package to Haymitch in the afternoon, but he didn’t answer when we knocked so we left it on the porch. But when...” she stopped abruptly and looked at her husband.

He was shaking his head.

A thought crossed her mind. If someone had deliberately tried to poison Haymitch, did that same person break into their house? And if so, why?

The same idea had obviously occurred to Peeta. She guessed he didn’t want to share the information about the break-in with her mother and Prim. She didn’t either. It would only worry them.

Fortunately Katniss’ mother and sister hadn’t noticed the silent communication between the couple.

“Haymitch should be waking up soon,” Mrs. Everdeen said when she was done eating.

Peeta stood up and collected the dirty dishes, putting them into the sink. Normally, he would have washed them immediately; this morning he let them soak in soapy water and followed the others back to Haymitch’s house.

They entered through the unlocked back door.

“How are you feeling this morning?” Mrs. Everdeen asked, going to Haymitch’s side and placing her hand on his forehead.

He brushed her hand aside, glaring at the assembled group. “Why are you all here? Can’t a man take a nap without people entering his house without warning?”

Mrs. Everdeen shook her head, smiling grimly. “Back to normal I see. I’ll take your stitches out in a week or two.” She turned to Prim. “We should get going so you can change your clothes before school.”

After they left, Katniss and Peeta stared at Haymitch.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Someone broke into our house yesterday while we were at the train station,” Katniss stated. “Did you notice anything odd when you brought the muffins into the house?

Haymitch guffawed. “Yeah, I had a visitor.

“Who?

“I’d rather not say.”

Katniss frowned. “Well your visitor may have been trying to kill you. There were nightlock berries on top of those muffins and Peeta didn’t put them there. If you’d eaten them you’d be dead now.”

“Well that explains a lot.” Haymitch said.

“Maybe we should call the authorities,” Peeta suggested. Both Katniss and Haymitch shook their heads. If the authorities were called in on a case involving a victor, this event would attract the attention of the entire country.

“I’m fine boy, let it rest. I don’t want my mug on the Panem Evening News. The Capitol will be all over this because of the victors in Six.”

“But if someone tried to kill you won’t they know it failed?” Peeta asked. “Won’t they come back to finish you off?”

“Probably. But this time I’ll be ready.” Haymitch looked around the room. “Where’d my knife go?”

Katniss rolled her eyes.

“Maybe you should stay with us,” Peeta suggested. “For a while, at least.”

Katniss glared at Peeta. The last thing she wanted was Haymitch staying in their house. They would have no privacy at all. Besides if someone was trying to kill Haymitch providing sanctuary could be dangerous for them.

“I don’t know,” Haymitch said. “You two are already loud enough.”

Katniss’ cheeks got warm.

Peeta’s cheeks turned a healthy shade of pink. But he ignored the comment. “What do you say Haymitch? Stay in our guest room for a few days, at least until you’re better.”

Haymitch shook his head, but Peeta continued. “I’ll just go upstairs and pack up a few things for you to take to our house.”

“I didn’t say you could go roaming through my house,” Haymitch protested but Peeta was already headed for the staircase.

Katniss studied Haymitch as he scanned the living room.

“What are you looking for?”

“My knife.”

He got up off of the couch. Katniss followed him as he wobbled into the kitchen and then into the pantry. He found his knife on an empty pantry shelf. He picked it up, shoving it into his pants pocket.

“I’ll take this too,” he said, reaching for a bottle of Ripper’s white liquor that sat on the floor.

Katniss scowled. This was exactly why she didn’t want Haymitch staying with her and Peeta.

Peeta met them in the living room with a handful of clothes and a toothbrush. He tossed Haymitch a shirt to put on. “Okay we can go home now.”

As they exited the front door, Peeta picked up the small package, they’d delivered the previous day and handed it to the victor. Haymitch looked at the label, frowned, and then tossed it inside his house before shutting the door.

“Do you ever dig the cameras out of the walls like I told you?” Haymitch asked, as they crossed the lane between the two houses.

Peeta shook his head. “Not yet, but we have something better.”

Katniss glared at him. No one knew about the pin besides them except for Gates. Why was Peeta telling Haymitch about it?

“What?”

“Show him Katniss.”

Grudgingly Katniss took the pin off her collar and showed it to Haymitch explaining the switch on the back and how the pin worked.

“Where’d you get that?”

“It was a wedding present from the contestant from Three,” Katniss said. “He said his uncle was a victor.”

“Beetee’s nephew?”

Kantiss nodded.

“Doesn’t surprise me. He’s certainly making them smaller these days. I hope you haven’t told anyone about it.”

“No,” Katniss said. She glared at Peeta. “I haven’t told anyone.”

When Haymitch came inside their house, Peeta put Haymitch’s clothes into the dresser in the downstairs guest room. “Why don’t you wash up,” Peeta suggested. “I’ll make you something to eat.”

“What are you doing Peeta?” Katniss hissed as soon as Haymitch left for the bathroom. “He was fine. Why did you invite him to stay here?”

“He can’t defend himself if someone is trying to kill him.”

“And you can?” Katniss scowled.

Peeta grinned. “I was thinking you could defend him. You’re dangerous with that bow and arrow.”

Katniss shook her head. “Don’t make a joke about it Peeta.”

“I’m not joking. If someone is after Haymitch, they could just as easily come after us. We’re isolated living out here in Victor’s Village. It might be better for us all to stick together for a while.”

Peeta carried the plate of food for Haymitch to the dining room and set it out onto the table. Katniss followed him back into the living room. Peeta’s eye fell upon the package leaning against wall.

“Isn’t that my present?”

In the excitement of the previous evening, Katniss had forgotten all the painting materials.

“It is. Do you want to open it now?”

“Sure.”

Peeta picked it up and carried it back to the sofa. He set the box onto the low table in front and tore at the wrapping to pull the supplies out.

He spread everything out on the table, studying each object carefully. Then he turned to Katniss and put his hand onto her cheek, turning her face toward his and kissed her. “Thank you,” he murmured.

Katniss leaned forward to capture his lips, ready to deepen their kiss when she heard footsteps.

“Would have been nice if you’d brought some underwear for me, boy,” Haymitch called out as he entered the room.

Katniss shuddered. Haymitch’s comment left a disturbing image in her mind, a place she definitely did not want to go.

“Sorry,” Peeta apologized, his hand dropping from Katniss’ face.

“No problem. I went upstairs and found a pair of yours to borrow.”

“What?” Katniss glared at Haymitch before turning back to Peeta. Had he really gone up to their bedroom and rummaged through their shared dresser?

“I told you…” she began.

Haymitch burst out laughing. “You’re too gullible sweetheart. Good thing you married an decent man or you’d be in trouble.”

“You should listen to him Katniss, he’s right, I’m very decent,” Peeta said, the corners of lips turning into a grin.

Katniss scowled. This was exactly why she didn’t want the victor staying in her house. Interrupting their private moments. Taking Peeta’s side against her. Going without underwear.

She got up from the sofa, suddenly irritated with both men. “I’m going for a walk.”

Peeta frowned. “Take your bow Katniss. It might not be safe around here.”

She snorted. Of course she planned to take it. She was headed for the woods for some peace and quiet.

On the way there, she stopped at her mother’s house. She had filled her game bag with food from the pantry as a payment for helping to stitch up Haymitch.

“Be sure to check in on Haymitch every once and a while,” her mother said.

“You don’t have to worry about that,” she said sarcastically. “Peeta invited him to stay with us.”

“Oh Katniss.” Her mother chuckled.

“It’s not funny.”

“You’re finally understanding what marriage is all about.”

Katniss flushed. “I already know what it’s about.” She felt awkward talking to her mother about her relationship with Peeta. She’d never been so embarrassed as the day she’d asked her mother for advice about birth control.

“No, I don’t think you do. Marriage is not all kisses and cheese buns,” her mother countered. “It’s about give and take, and learning to get along with each other.”

“We get along fine. I just wish he didn’t invite Haymitch to stay with us. He could have asked me at least.”

“Your father was always bringing home sick people for me to tend to,” her mother said. “You would have thought I was running a hospital.”

“But you were a healer.”

“Not then. I knew a lot about natural medicines because of my parents’ apothecary shop, but I’d never delivered a baby or stitched up someone who was whipped. But I think your father was determined that I learn a trade, which turned out to be a good thing in the long run.”

Her mother paused for a moment staring off into space and Katniss threw out a silent thank you to her father wherever he was for his good sense. Otherwise the Everdeens would have been without any hope when he died in the mine explosion.

“Peeta is very sociable,” her mother continued. “You could learn a lot from him.”

Katniss scowled. She didn’t like the direction of this conversation. She said her goodbyes and headed for the woods.

She’d calmed down considerably while walking through the trees and checking her snares. She stayed until dusk and arrived home with a couple of squirrels. It was Peeta’s favorite meat, and she was hoping to make amends for her bad mood.

Peeta and Haymitch were gone when she got back to the house. She immediately set to work gutting the squirrels and making a stew. When she finished chopping the vegetables to put into the stew pot, they came in the front door.

“Katniss,” Peeta called, from the living room. “We need to talk.” Katniss left the kitchen. She noticed that Haymitch was leaning a suitcase against the wall. “Can you?” Peeta motioned to the pin with his hand.

“It’s already on.” She’d forgotten to turn it off earlier. Maybe she should keep it on all the time.

“Finnick Odair called right after you left. “He invited us to come to District 4 and stay at his beach house. He’s holding a meeting there.”

Katniss remembered that during their wedding reception Finnick had mentioned a meeting about the Capitol’s abuse of privacy that he was planning to hold.

Katniss had spent a couple of days at the beach house during the filming of The Match Game. But not with Peeta; he hadn’t become part of the show until later. It would be fun, now, to stroll barefoot along that beach with Peeta, to feel her toes in the sand, to stop and kiss him as the gentle breeze caressed her skin.

Peeta continued speaking, but she paid no attention, her mind already thinking of other things they could do on that beach in the warm sand as the waves crashed along the shoreline. Yes, it would so be nice to get away.

“We’re leaving on the train tomorrow afternoon with Haymitch.”

Her mind snapped to attention. “Haymitch?” The anger in her voice was evident. Why was Haymitch coming along with them?

“We can’t leave him behind after what happened in Eleven.”

“Eleven?”

“Haven’t you been listening Katniss? The victors in Eleven, Chaff and Seeder, were found dead in their homes this morning. They were both stabbed.”

Chapter Text

The train ride to the beach house in District 4 took three and a half days. It was a much different experience than Katniss’ previous train trips when she had been ensconced in a nicely decorated sleeping compartment.

Although this train boasted private sleeping rooms, Peeta had insisted they all stay together in a coach car. He didn’t want to let Haymitch out of sight and he thought it would be safer if Haymitch were in full view of the other passengers as well. Katniss grudgingly agreed, even though she didn’t like sleeping upright in a hard seat. But it was better than the alternative -- spending three and a half days cooped up with Peeta and Haymitch in a private compartment.

Haymitch spent most of the trip asleep, spread across two seats. He’d packed all the liquor he had in his house. Every day he opened a bottle and by noon had drank himself into a stupor.

“What’s wrong with him,” Katniss complained to Peeta.

“He’s grieving. He and Chaff were apparently close friends.”

Katniss stared out the window, watching the scenery. The journey gave her too much time to think and it soured her mood. The idyllic relationship she’d developed with her husband was changing and she didn’t like it. She was beginning to notice things about Peeta that irritated her.

He was too damn kind and helpful to other people. While kindness in itself, was an admirable trait, it bothered Katniss when it was done at her expense. He should be considering her feelings first before those of their neighbor.

Katniss wasn’t good at voicing her emotions, so instead of trying to explain herself to Peeta she pouted. Peeta, however, didn’t seem to notice her mood. Or maybe he did and because he was such a kind person he had decided to ignore it, which was all the more aggravating.

Throughout the journey he remained steadfastly cheerful. When he wasn’t running to the food car to purchase provisions for Katniss and Haymitch, he had his arm around her shoulder, talking excitedly about seeing the ocean for the first time.

When the train finally arrived in the busy District 4 terminal, Katniss sighed in relief. The salty breeze revived her spirits. Maybe their time at the beach would put things right. At the very least, they could hopefully spend some time alone.

A driver met them at the busy station. It was a short trip to their destination.

“There it is,” Katniss called out when the house with its big wraparound porch appeared in front of them.

The car pulled up and everyone got out. They carried their bags to the door and knocked. Annie opened it. She was wearing a loose white cotton dress and her wavy, shoulder-length brown hair framed her face. Her green eyes lit up when she saw them.

“Did you have a good trip?”

“It was fine,” Peeta said. “A bit long, but we’re glad to be here.”

Haymitch groaned and asked if there was somewhere he could rest. Annie led him away to a room on the main floor of the house, while Katniss and Peeta set their bags down. Katniss reached for Peeta’s hand and led him to the large windows that faced the ocean in the back of the house.

“Look,” she pointed. “There it is.”

“So that’s where you filmed those beach scenes for the show,” Peeta murmured, referring to the walks she’d taken at the water’s edge with the last four contestants in the show.

Katniss looked at Peeta curiously. Was he jealous? “We can take a walk out there.”

Annie returned to interrupt their conversation.

“You’re the first group to arrive.”

“Who else is coming?” Katniss asked.

“Victors from The Hunger Games show. We have a lot to discuss.”

Peeta tipped his head toward the pin on Katniss’ shirt.

“There are no cameras or recording devices in this house Peeta,” Katniss said.

A curious look crossed Annie’s face. “Finnick oversaw the building of this house himself to make sure of it.”

“Is everyone staying here?” Katniss asked. The beach house was large, but could it hold that many people?

Annie laughed. “No, the house isn’t big enough. Besides your group, only Wiress, Beetee, and Mags are staying here. Wiress and Beetee should be here in a couple of hours, but Mags isn’t due until tomorrow morning. She’s celebrating her granddaughter’s birthday.

“The others are staying at a nearby inn,” Annie continued. “In the last couple of years District 4 has become quite a tourist sight for the wealthy. A lot of hotels and inns have opened.”

“How did we get lucky enough to stay with you instead of at the inn?” Peeta asked.

Annie bit her lip and a pink spot appeared on each cheek. Her lips turned up to form a tiny smile. “Well, I know about your talents Peeta. I watched your baking segments on the Capitol t.v. channel. I was hoping you’d help me with the cooking.”

Peeta beamed. “I’d be honored.”

Katniss watched the interchange between Annie and her husband, which, to her eyes, looked a tad flirty, and she was irked. She’d already spent the past five days sharing Peeta with Haymitch. Now, just when she thought she would have him to herself, Annie was asking for his help and, of course, her husband readily agreed.

“Let me show you to your room. You can both freshen up or whatever.”

They grabbed their bags and followed Annie upstairs to the same room Katniss had shared with Effie and Cressida. Instead of two separate beds, though, the beds are been pushed together to form one large bed.

“Peeta, I’ll be starting dinner in an hour,” Annie said before closing the door.

Peeta dropped his luggage onto the floor and sat down on the bed, falling backwards onto the mattress. He motioned for Katniss to sit beside him. She set her bag down next to his and grudgingly sat down.

He reached for her arm and ran a finger up the sensitive skin on the inside of it.

“We have an hour.” His voice was low.

Only a few minutes earlier, she would have gladly taken advantage of their hour of alone time. Now however, she found herself annoyed.

Katniss stood up and looked down at him. “I’m going to the beach,” she announced. “I need some air.”

She rushed out before Peeta could even reply. She hurried down the stairs, past Annie in the kitchen, out the door onto the large deck and down the stairs that led to the beach. Her eyes were tearing up. Katniss didn’t know why she was so upset. She stepped onto the sand, stopping for a moment to remove her shoes and socks and placing them onto the bottom of the stairs. She rolled up her long cotton pants and walked to the water’s edge.

Her toes dug into the wet sand. The warm, foamy water pooled around her ankles, before receding. She watched as another wave formed and then crashed bringing more water to lap at her feet.

She breathed in the fresh air and looked toward the horizon for a few minutes, emptying her mind. The sight and smells, although very different from the woods in District 12, achieved the same purpose – they calmed her.

The water was rushing toward her ankles when she felt two hands wrap around her from behind. She jumped and let out a tiny shriek, stepping forward to break free from her assailant and then turning quickly to face him.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Peeta apologized. He was barefoot, but hadn’t rolled up the bottom of his pants, which were now wet with seawater. “What’s wrong? Why did you run out of the room?”

Katniss couldn’t say it. Telling him that she’d gotten jealous because of Annie’s request made her sound like an idiot. When had she turned into a lovesick ninny who pouted when she didn’t have Peeta’s complete attention?

“I needed some air.”

A skeptical look crossed his face, but he didn’t question her further.

“You should roll up your pants,” she said, in an attempt to change the conversation.

Peeta grinned. “It’s a little late for that.”

He grabbed her hand. “Let’s walk for a few minutes.”

They walked along the edge of the waves toward the big rock that stood in the distance. The last time she’d taken this walk she’d been so anxious, pressured because she didn’t want to marry anyone and she was being forced to make a choice as part of the show. Things had changed so much since then and she had Peeta to thank for it.

Peeta slowed down. “We should probably turn back.”

Katniss nodded, then rose on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.” He really had saved her.

He turned and met her lips. She leaned into him, putting her arms up around his neck. She suddenly regretted throwing a tantrum and fleeing from their room.

“Tonight,” she whispered when they broke apart.

When they got to the house, Peeta went upstairs to change his pants. Annie was in the kitchen pulling food from the refrigerator and setting it on the large island in the center of the room.

Feeling better Katniss offered to help. Annie set her to work making an enormous green salad.

When Peeta got to the kitchen, Annie asked him to make a batch of cheese buns. “Three dozen at least.” She was slicing fruit and placing it on a large platter. Another held cheeses and sliced meats and crackers.

“Finnick will should be back soon to grill the fish.”

The guests began arriving just as the food was set out onto a single table on the large deck. Two longer tables had been set up to seat everyone.

Katniss recognized almost all the victors from her years of watching The Hunger Games, although a few were so wasted by illness, drugs or drink that she couldn’t place them. Since that show had ended three years earlier, most hadn’t been seen much on television, although a few, like the classically beautiful sister and brother, Cashmere and Gloss, remained in the public eye as commercial spokespersons.

Cashmere advertised a shampoo that made her hair shine so much that it reflected her lover’s eyes; while Gloss, with his rugged good looks, was the official male model for Crew’s Clothing, the oldest apparel business in Panem.

Katniss sat next to Peeta. As she ate, she looked down the long table to study the victors. Everyone was sitting with the victors from their own districts. Johanna Mason from Seven was sitting across from Katniss with Blight.

Beetee and Wiress were together and deep in conversation. Katniss wondered if they were a couple, like Annie and Finnick or simply good friends. Beetee looked like an older version of his nephew Gates. Katniss made a mental note to ask him to thank Gates again for the mockingjay pin.

Haymitch, who was sitting next to Peeta, was strangely chatty, laughing at Johanna’s sarcasm and joking with Finnick and Annie. He was a different person among his peers; not the drunken curmudgeon that lived in District 12.

“How can you afford this spread?” Haymitch asked Finnick. “Didn’t you get that note from President Crane about our stipends being reduced twenty percent due to the poor economy?”

Groans sounded at the table.

“That’s why I have a second job,” Finnick said. “You’re looking at Mr. Tourism himself. I’m the public personification of Four.” He stood up and assumed a bodybuilder-type pose, which made everyone laugh. “At least it beats t.v commercials, don’t you think Cashmere?”

At the end of the table Cashmere rolled her eyes. “It beats a lot of things Finnick.” The table went silent with an uncomfortable tension before Cashmere whipped her head back so that her hair flipped over her shoulder. “Well at least my hair smells nice.” The female victor from One was surrounded by her brother Gloss, and Brutus from Two. Katniss smirked at the thought of the Careers allying for a simple meal.

“I guess we’ll all have to get second jobs soon,” Blight commented.

“Well I wouldn’t recommend a career in television,” Johanna said. “You don’t want to end up like Enobaria.”

Katniss shuddered as she remembered the horrific death of that victor from Two only a year earlier. Enobaria had been the star of an adventure t.v. show. Every week she’d do something terrifying like bite the head off a bat or wrestle with an alligator. Unfortunately on the sixth episode of the show she’d been bitten by a poisonous snake and died within seconds. Of course, the network had aired the footage. Rumor had it that more than half of the households in Panem had watched the show.

“Maybe I should just sit home and wait for someone to kill me like Chaff and Seeder,” Blight retorted.

A collective grimace formed on the faces of the victors who were listening in. No one said anything for a few minutes.

Johanna broke the silence. “Why is the flavor-of-the-month here?” She pointed at Katniss and Peeta. “I thought this was a meeting strictly for victors.”

Finnick shook his head. “The privacy issue affects them just as much as it does us.”

Johanna snorted loudly. “They volunteered to be on that stupid show. We didn’t have a choice.”

Katniss startled at the woman’s accusation. Johanna was clearly nothing like the shy, scared girl she portrayed as the winner of The Hunger Games.

“I didn’t volunteer,” Katniss explained. “I was blackmailed.”

“Well, for someone who was blackmailed, it looks like you did okay ending up with blondie here.”

Katniss glared at Johanna. She felt Peeta rest his hand on her leg under the table as if to calm her down.

“Drop it Johanna,” Finnick said. “You know the Capitol was broadcasting every move in that penthouse.”

“Yeah, that was titillating stuff making a recipe book,” Johanna retorted. “Just the kind of pap that puts me to sleep at night.”

Katniss’ cheeks grew warm. Conversations around them stopped as everyone stared at Katniss and Johanna. Peeta squeezed Katniss leg.

“Cut the crap Johanna,” Haymitch said. “We all know you like the attention.”

Immediately all eyes turned to Haymitch. “These two have cameras inside their house like all of us do. Sweetheart here was forced into an arranged marriage to bring jobs to District 12. Whether she ended up with someone decent like the boy here or some other fool doesn’t matter. She didn’t have to kill anyone but her choices were taken from her the same as ours.”

Johanna flushed. She opened her mouth to respond, but Finnick interrupted. “Let’s save this conversation for our meeting tomorrow. This isn’t the time for it.” He whispered something to Annie, who got up and went into the house.

Katniss studied Haymitch who was sipping at his drink again. She was grateful to the old drunk for standing up for her and Peeta. Maybe it was his way of saying thank-you for allowing him to stay at their house.

Annie returned with two pies. She set one in the center of each table.

Conversation resumed over dessert. As people finished their food, some got up to refill their plates or their glasses from the punchbowl on the table. Others went inside the house to relax in the comfortable living room, and a few to use the facilities.

Eventually Annie got up and cleared the table. Peeta stood up to help. Katniss did the same. She didn’t want to sit alone. Johanna had been shooting icy stares at her ever since Haymitch had defended her.

“I’m sorry about Johanna,” Annie apologized when they got to the kitchen. “She’s had a rough life since the Games. We all have, but Snow was particularly hard on her. She lost more than most of us did.”

Katniss nodded as if she understood, but really she didn’t. How could she? She’d never participated in The Hunger Games.

Katniss and Peeta helped Annie clean up the kitchen, while the party continued. Annie turned on the tiny television in the alcove and twisted it toward them to watch as they worked. “I’m hooked on this gossip show,” she said, sheepishly. “You don’t mind do you? Finnick makes fun of me when I watch it.”

Peeta chuckled, and even Katniss grinned.

“Everyone has their secret vices,” Katniss told Annie.

Peeta raised his eyebrow at Katniss. “Do you?” he mouthed.

She smiled at him. “I’m not telling.”

Peeta walked closer and was reaching out to grab her side, when a familiar voice sounded from the t.v. It was legendary announcer Claudius Templesmith. “Trouble in Paradise?” his booming voice called out. “The winner of The Match Game may soon be heading for divorce court.”

Immediately Katniss turned away from Peeta to face the screen. In a small box to the right of Claudius’ head was a picture of her on her wedding day. Her eyes widened. Her mouth dropped open.

“More about this important story after our break.”

“I’m so sorry,” Annie ran toward the t.v. “It’s a silly show and it’s full of lies.” She put her hand on the controller to turn it off.

“No,” Katniss said. “I want to see what they’re saying about us.”

“Katniss…” Peeta began.

“Peeta, if a false story is going around, shouldn’t we know about it at least?”

“I suppose.”

“Are you sure?” Annie asked.

Katniss nodded.

“All right.” She set the controller down on the top of the set and went back to cleaning the kitchen.

Katniss and Peeta remained frozen in front of the screen. After a few minutes of commercials advertising the latest shoes that shot flames out of the heels when the wearer stomped his feet and facial cream that gave the user’s skin a lovely purple glow, Claudius returned. The next story wasn’t about Katniss and Peeta though. It was about a woman in the Capitol who had built a special house for her pet mouse, complete with running water and electricity. The mouse dined on the richest of foods and slept on a bed of soft fur.

“What a waste,” Katniss fumed when the segment ended, forgetting for a moment why she was even watching the show.

But Claudius followed with another teaser, “Did Katniss Everdeen know that Peeta Mellark had a terrible fault when she married him?”

Katniss bit her lip to stop from laughing when she heard Claudius’ comment. Yes, he’s too nice she thought.

Peeta leaned closer and whispered. “My fault is that I’m hopelessly in love with you.” He put his arm around her as she leaned into him. They watched the next round of commercials, one featuring a doctor who could surgically enhance a person’s face to resemble their favorite animal and another that showed the many flavors of a drink – lime, grape, and even mango -- one could purchase that would inducing vomiting on those days when a person simply couldn’t stop eating. The flavor stayed the same coming up as it did going down.

At the end of the commercial, Finnick and Johanna entered the kitchen.

“Annie is there anymore...” Finnick began, but he stopped when he saw Katniss and Peeta standing in front of the television. A sly smile crossed his face. “Don’t tell me she’s got you hooked on her show?”

The commercial ended and Claudius returned. The same wedding photo of Katniss and Peeta was fixed in a tiny box on the upper right section of the screen.

Johanna snorted. “You’ve made Claudius’ program. This is going to be good.”

Katniss took her eyes from the television for a moment to glare at her.

“Two months ago all of Panem witnessed the wedding of Katniss Everdeen to Peeta Mellark, the man she chose at the conclusion of The Match Game.”

Claudius’ face disappeared and a montage of scenes from Katniss’ and Peeta’s wedding played.

“Peeta Mellark was a last minute addition to the show as fans may remember,” Claudius narrated. A picture of Peeta’s face was plastered onto the screen.

“But it seems Katniss’ choice was not the man-in-love he portrayed himself to be. We have obtained secret footage…”

“Yeah, I wonder how you got that,” Finnick muttered.

“to show her new husband has already moved on to other conquests.”

The screen changed to show a grainy picture of a naked couple kissing.

Katniss heard a collective gasp in the room and felt Peeta stiffen beside her. Her face grew warm with embarrassment. She wanted to flee but her legs were locked into place, her eyes glued to the humiliating scene in front of her.

A naked, blonde-haired man was atop a naked woman who also had long blonde hair that was spread across the cushions of the couch. Katniss immediately recognized the location. It was the sofa in their living room in Victor’s Village. The colorful blanket that her mother and Prim had made was draped over the back of it.

The sounds coming from the couple, the moans and pants, made Katniss wish the floor would open up and swallow her. The man whispered a direction to the woman, and Katniss held her breath because the husky voice sounded very much like Peeta’s.

The disconcerting part was that from what she could see of the man, he did resemble Peeta. He had the same broad back and muscular arms. But then it was difficult to tell; she’d never seen Peeta from that angle before. Of course it wasn’t him. It couldn’t be. Not Peeta. He loved her, didn’t he?

Who is that woman? Katniss wondered. When the man’s head pulled away from the woman’s lips to dip down and kiss her neck, Katniss got a good look. It was Delly Cartwright writhing naked on the sofa in their house. She didn’t look lumpy at all anymore and her pasty complexion had turned rosy in the heat of passion.

“Wow,” Johanna said, as she punched Peeta in the shoulder. “I wouldn’t have guessed you’d cheat on Katniss in your own house. Didn’t you know about the cameras?”

“It’s not me,” Peeta said angrily. “It’s my brother.”

Of course! Katniss sighed in relief.

“You have a brother?” Johanna asked. She licked her lips and stepped closer to stare the screen.

“This is exactly why I don’t like this show Annie,” Finnick said, scowling at his wife. He walked to the television and picked up the controller to turn it off.

“Don’t,” Johanna hissed. “There’s more.”

The picture had already changed. Now the pair was coupling on the dining room table.

Johanna cackled. “Do you eat off that table?”

A sick feeling settled in Katniss’ stomach. Was this show being aired in District 12? Would her family and friends see or hear about it? She’d given up so much of her personal privacy already. Was she now going to become the laughingstock of Panem?

Finnick shut the television off.

“Well, that was certainly enlightening,” Johanna remarked.

Finnick gave her a threatening look. “That’s enough Johanna.”

Annie walked over to Katniss and Peeta with tears in her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

“I think we’ll turn in now,” Peeta said, stiffly.

Katniss felt Peeta’s arm loosen from around her waist. She hadn’t realized how tightly he’d been holding her.

Peeta put his hand behind her back and guided her upstairs to their room. Once inside, he turned to her. “I can’t believe Rye would use our home to meet up with Delly.”

His face was flushed. Katniss couldn’t tell if was anger or embarrassment. Maybe a little of both.

“I’m so sorry.”

She nodded bleakly. “I guess it explains the intruder.”

Peeta’s face was grim.

“What are we going to do?” Katniss asked. “Everyone thinks it’s you.”

“You know it wasn’t though?” She could hear the need for reassurance in his voice.

“Of course.” She squeezed his hand.

“Then that’s all that matters. We’ll get through this.”

“But my family…”

“We’ll explain,” Peeta said, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin upon the top of her head. “Besides I doubt that show aired in the districts. I’ve never seen commercials like that at home.”

Katniss hoped Peeta was right. “I feel so dirty.”

“Why don’t you take a nice long bath to relax? I saw that big bathtub earlier.”

That was a good idea. Another immediately followed. “Don’t you need to relax as well? It’s a big tub.”

Peeta pulled away to smile at her. “That’s an excellent suggestion Mrs. Mellark.” He kissed her behind the ear.

A tingle went down Katniss’ spine. Finally. The bathtub was so big, much larger than the one at home. There were so many things they could do in a big bathtub like that one. And right now she wanted to do something that would make her forget all about how utterly humiliated she was feeling.

The couple made quick work of removing their clothing. Katniss pushed the bathroom door open, her eyes flying to the wicker basket on the floor that housed toiletries. She hoped there was bubble bath in it. She remembered the restful soak she’d taken during her last visit to the beach house.

Peeta let out a gasp behind her and Katniss twisted her head to look back at him. Peeta’s mouth was open and his hand was pointing to the bathtub. Katniss turned forward to see Brutus, fully clothed and lying in the tub. His head was twisted to an odd angle and his eyes were wide open, fixed with glassy stare. His shirt was stained with blood. Instinctively one of her arms went out to shield her breasts, the other to cover her lower body. But it didn’t matter; it was clear that the victor was dead.

Chapter Text

Katniss let out a small shriek. “Is he..?”

Peeta took a step forward, placing his hand lightly on the man’s arm. “It looks that way.” He groaned. “We’d better get Finnick.”

“But how did he get here?”

“I don’t know.” Peeta was already in the bedroom putting his clothes on. “Get dressed Katniss.”

She was standing naked in the doorway to the bathroom. Slowly she bent down to pick up her scattered clothing that lay on the floor.

Once the two were dressed they went downstairs looking for their host. The party was in full swing. The alcohol in the punch had kicked in and peals of laughter could be heard ringing throughout the house. For a brief moment Katniss wondered if everyone was laughing at her – if Johanna had been telling the other victors about what she’d seen on television.

They found Finnick sitting at the tiny table in the kitchen alcove talking to Annie. Both looked up when Katniss and Peeta approached them.

“I’m so sorry,” Finnick began.

Peeta interrupted. “Brutus is lying dead in our bathtub.”

Finnick sprung to his feet immediately. Annie stood up as well, a look of disbelief on her face.

“What did you say?” Annie choked out.

“There’s a body…” Katniss tried to explain.

“Someone must be playing a sick joke,” Finnick muttered before he raced out of the kitchen and toward the stairs. He took them two at a time on the way up.

Katniss and Peeta followed him, along with Annie. They weren’t even to the room when they heard Finnick cry out.

“Oh Brutus, not you too.”

Finnick was standing in the doorway blocking the entrance to the bathroom when they arrived. His head was in his hands. When he looked up at them, his skin was ashen, his eyes flickering from face to face.

“Don’t come in here Annie,” he warned. “You don’t need to add to your nightmares.”

Katniss glanced at the woman who was so sweet and friendly. What kind of nightmares had The Hunger Games inflicted on her?

“How did he get there?” Katniss asked.

Finnick shook his head, a fake laugh, falling from his lips. “Ironically there are no cameras here to tell us. But one thing is certain. This wasn’t an accident. There’s a murderer in my house.”

“Finnick, we’re all murderers,” Annie said softly.

Katniss’ eyes widened when she realized what Annie meant. All of the victors had killed one or more persons to win The Hunger Games. She and Peeta were surrounded by killers.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The party ended shortly thereafter, when Finnick went downstairs and took away the punchbowl. He called for a shuttle to take the guests back to the inn. It wasn’t until everyone had left that he gathered the people staying at his house to tell them about Brutus.

“Why did you let everyone leave?” Katniss questioned. “It’s obvious the killer was here.”

Finnick scowled. “The person or persons who did this isn’t going anywhere. They’ll all be back tomorrow morning. I’d rather handle it when I have some kind of plan in place. Besides we need to move Brutus. If the Capitol finds out that his death occurred on the premises, they’ll likely confiscate my house as a crime scene.”

Beetee volunteered to help Finnick and Peeta move Brutus’ body to a small shed on the property.

When they returned, Finnick suggested that everyone get some sleep. “I have some favors to call in,” he said grimly.

“Can I talk to you privately,” Haymitch said, his voice slurred.

Finnick nodded.

Annie moved Katniss and Peeta to another room, one that had been set aside for Mags. It was located on the ground floor, close to Haymitch’s room. The new room had a single bed, a short sofa, and a chest of drawers.

Once they were alone inside, Katniss looked to Peeta. “What have we gotten mixed up with?”

Peeta shook his head. “I don’t know.”

They sat down on the small sofa and faced each other.

“You know Peeta, Annie was right.”

“About what?”

“They’re all killers.”

“I’m not following you.”

“The victors,” Katniss explained. “Everyone had to kill someone to get out of The Hunger Games alive.” She became more excited as she realized the ramifications. “We’re staying with a bunch of killers, and we have no weapons.”

Peeta snorted. “Well it would have looked suspicious if you’d packed your bow. But if you’re worried, maybe I can sneak a rolling pin out of the kitchen.”

“Very funny. But there’s no lock on that door. Maybe we should take turns staying awake.”

Peeta yawned. “No. I don’t think the killer is still in the house. But if it will make you feel better, I can move the dresser in front of the door to block it.”

Relief flooded her face. “It would.”

Peeta stood up. “We should get some sleep now. I’ll take the couch.

Katniss shook her head. “You take the bed, its bigger and well, you’re bigger than me.”

Peeta laughed. “All right,” he agreed without argument.

After he dragged the dresser in front of the door, he sat back down next to Katniss on the tiny sofa. She’d already put on a long nightshirt to sleep in. The previous hour’s experience had left her feeling empty. Right now she only wanted to be held and comforted, reassured that things would be okay. And Peeta was good at that.

He wrapped his arms around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. After a short while, though, while her eyelids began to droop. She could feel Peeta loosening his hold.

Reluctant to lose the feel of him, she murmured, “Stay with me.”

“Always,” he whispered, kissing her temple and positioning her lengthwise along the back of the sofa, then lying on his side next to her pressing her into the cushions.

Her sleep was surprisingly dreamless. When she awoke she found that somehow her body was atop Peeta’s. She wondered at how uncomfortable he must be on the couch, his legs and feet hanging off of the end of it.

She carefully rolled off him and stood up. It was early. The light in the room was a soft golden color. She’d needed to find a bathroom. She began to push at the dresser to move it. Despite her care, it made a loud scratching sound and Peeta was jolted awake.

“I can help you with that Katniss,” he said hoarsely. He got up and stretched.

“Are you sore?”

“My back is kind of stiff,” he said as he lifted the dresser away from the door.

“I’ll massage it for you later,” Katniss said, before leaving to find the bathroom. She edged that door open slowly, fearful of finding another dead body inside. But it was empty. She locked the door behind her and, after using the facilities, decided to shower when she realized she hadn’t had a real shower since she’d left Twelve.

Peeta was lying on the bed sleeping when she returned. His face took on a sweet look as he slumbered, like he had no worries in the world. Katniss sat on the couch and watched him as she combed through her hair and braided it.

She was lucky to have him. It was strange how he could be related to that womanizer Rye. But maybe Rye wasn’t so unusual. Hadn’t Gale admitted that he’d been involved with other women over the years? “Too many to remember” had been his exact words. The thought of Peeta with other women made her shudder. She took a deep breath to calm herself, glad that her husband only ever had eyes for her.

“Hey you,” Peeta said, lifting his head from the pillow and rubbing those blue eyes.

“Is your back feeling better?”

“A little. But you said something about a massage before you left.”

Katniss nodded. She got up off the couch and walked to the bed. Peeta was sitting up now. He scooted forward to give her space. She climbed up on the bed behind him.

“Take off your shirt,” she directed. Peeta was still wearing his clothes from the previous day. He’d never had the chance to change out of them from the night before.

“Okay.”

Katniss studied his back as his shirt came off. Yes, it did resemble Rye’s back. She guessed lifting hundred pound flour sacks and being on the school wrestling team had developed their muscles in a similar fashion.

She put her hands onto Peeta’s shoulders. She began by rubbing the flat of her hands down his back. After a minute she switched to making circles with her hands. When she tired of that, she kneading his muscles, the same way Peeta worked bread dough.

Peeta was completely silent during the procedure, which surprised her. She’d expected to hear a sound at least, some expression of relief.

“Does that feel good?” she finally asked him.

“It feels like a butterfly is dancing on my back. You can be rougher Katniss. You won’t hurt me.”

Exasperation flooded through her. Her hands were already tired. She made them into fists and began pummeling Peeta’s skin. “How is that?”

“Better.” He let out a soft sigh.

Katniss opened her hand flat to hit his skin, making loud slapping sounds. She was determined to make Peeta feel good.

A knock on the door made her pause. “Sorry to interrupt,” Annie called out.

Annie sounded hesitant and Katniss wondered if Annie had heard the slaps. What must she be thinking?

“I’m going to start breakfast. When you’re finished in there, um, could one of you make cinnamon rolls?”

Inwardly Katniss cringed. It was clear Annie heard the noisy massage.

“All right,” Katniss called out. “You should take a hot shower,” she told Peeta. “I’ll help Annie.”

She kissed his shoulder before getting off the bed and leaving the room.

“How did you sleep?” Annie asked when she entered the kitchen.

“Surprisingly well.” Katniss noticed that Annie’s face looked paler than usual. Dark circles hung under her eyes.

“How about you?”

Annie shook her head. “Finnick and I were awake all night. Brutus was the fifth victor killed in the last couple of weeks. And it happened in our home. We thought we could trust the others; we’ve known everyone for years and we’ve all been through so much. But clearly we can’t. ”

“What’s going to happen now?” Katniss asked.

Annie shook her head. “Finnick made calls to some friends he has in the Capitol, but he wants to talk to Mags first. She’ll be here for breakfast. Then he’ll talk to the group.”

Katniss nodded.

Peeta arrived shortly wearing a t-shirt and shorts, his blonde hair wet from the shower. “You did a good job,” he commented when he saw the dough that Katniss had rolled out.

He set to work mixing up the powdered sugar for the frosting.

As soon as the rolls had left the oven to cool, Finnick returned with the other victors, including Mags, a tiny, elderly woman with white hair. The atmosphere was somber this morning. It was clear that he’d told the group about Brutus, although some of them had probably wondered why he hadn’t returned to the inn with the rest of them the previous evening.

Most were wide-eyed and serious. Cashmere was openly crying. Gloss appeared in shock. While other victors had died in recent weeks, this death hit everyone especially hard. None had been friends with the drug-addicted victors from Six and only Haymitch had had a close friendship with Chaff. While everyone liked Seeder, she hadn’t been particularly close to the others.

But Brutus had been walking and talking and eating with them the previous evening. Everyone was stunned.

Katniss and Peeta helped Annie set platters of food on the back deck, scrambled eggs, cinnamon rolls, sliced fruit, and pitchers of juice, coffee, and tea.

Finnick, Annie, and Mags ate at the table in the kitchen alcove.

Everyone else ate at the two long tables outside. Katniss and Peeta made plates and sat down at across from Haymitch. Katniss thought it was unusual to see him functioning so well this early in the day. After last night’s drinking, his head must feel awful.

“You two doing all right?” he asked them.

“We are,” Peeta said.

“I wasn’t sure,” the man snickered. “I heard about that television show.

Katniss frowned. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Peeta lower his fork and grit his teeth.

And then finding Brutus,” Haymitch continued. “Well, I understand they moved you two next to me. I guess you were upset because I didn’t hear either of you last night, although there were some strange sounds this morning.”

Katniss was thinking of a snarky reply when Johanna sat down next to him, her plate heaped with food.

“Hey brainless,” Johanna said, looking directly at her. “Your love life is the talk of Panem.”

“What do you mean?” Peeta blurted out before Katniss could respond.

“It made Good Morning Panem. They keep showing that footage over and over again.”

Katniss had been secretly hoping that the gossip show they’d seen the previous evening had only been aired to viewers in the Capitol. Annie had once mentioned that victors had special access to watch Capitol shows. While that wasn’t ideal, at least it lessened the likelihood that her mother and Prim would hear about it. But if it was on Good Morning Panem, then everyone in District 12 was likely talking about it.

“You should have let me get the cameras out the walls when I told you about them,” Haymitch said.

Katniss knew Haymitch was right. She’d depended too much on Gates’ pin. She should have listened to Haymitch in the first place.

“You knew about the cameras but you left them in?” Johanna cackled. “Are you exhibitionists?” She laughed at her own joke until a curious look came over her face. “You two have never done it have you?” She eyed Katniss suspiciously, before turning to Peeta.

“Do you even have a brother?”

Under the table Peeta reached for Katniss’ hand and squeezed it. It wasn’t a reassuring squeeze. It was if he was holding onto her for dear life, hoping to keep his emotions in check.

“Believe me they’ve done it,” Haymitch interrupted. “I’ve heard them. On many occasions. They have a habit of sleeping with the window open.”

For once Katniss was grateful for Haymitch’s blabbering if it would shut Johanna up. But the woman was persistent.

“So why didn’t you take out the cameras? At the very least cover them up.”

“Tell her,” Haymitch said. He pointed to the pin on Katniss’ shirt.

Katniss flashed Haymitch a nasty look, and then turned toward Peeta as if to ask his permission.

“It’s okay Katniss,” he said gruffly.

She touched the pin. “This pin blocks all cameras and sound recordings within fifty feet of me.”

“Where did you get it?” Johanna said. “I would love one of those things, although that bird design is really tacky.”

“It was a wedding gift from one of the contestants on The Match Game.”

Beetee, who was sitting near interrupted. “It’s the latest prototype, Johanna. My nephew gave it to Katniss to determine whether it worked. I take it you’re satisfied with its effectiveness?” Beetee directed his comments to Katniss and Peeta.

They nodded.

“It’s one of the ways we can fight back against Capitol intrusion into our lives,” Beetee said.

“You mean before someone kills us all off,” Haymitch added sarcastically.

“The Capitol didn’t kill Brutus,” Finnick interjected. He had walked out onto the deck. “It was one of us.”

An uncomfortable silence fell over both tables as everyone pondered Finnick’s words. The murderer was likely sitting at the table. Nervous glances were exchanged.

“So you include yourself in that group?” Johanna asked.

“Hypothetically, yes. But I didn’t do it,” Finnick said, rubbing his temple. “Do you think I want to bring publicity to our gathering by bringing the authorities into it?”

Katniss noticed several victors nodding at Finnick’s words.

“Unfortunately due to circumstances, we’ll have to call off our meeting. The Capitol is sending a hovercraft that will be arriving within hours to do an investigation on what happened to Brutus. They’ll also be conducting interviews for a t.v. special about his life. I think we should all be on the same page as to what we say.”

Again more head nods.

“We’ve gathered here to honor the victors that passed on,” Finnick explained. “Nothing more. As for Brutus, well Annie and I found him dead on the beach late last night when we were out walking. I personally suspect he was the victim of a robbery.”

“Peeta and I aren’t victors,” Katniss interrupted. “Won’t they question why we’re here?”

Finnick frowned.

“You came at my request,” Haymitch broke in. “Because you two need to get away after all the marriage problems you’ve been experiencing.”

Johanna snorted, and then directed a question to Finnick. “Can’t we talk about privacy, at least until the Capitol goons get here?”

“In light of the fact that the murderer is likely among us, I feel uncomfortable going forward with that topic because I don’t know if the person and persons who did this is working alone or with the assistance of the Capitol.”

Katniss wondered how many people had overheard the conversation about her mockingjay pin. The technology surrounding it was likely something that would have been discussed at the meeting.

Everyone lingered at the tables long after breakfast ended. Katniss and Peeta helped Annie in taking away the leftover food and cleaning up the kitchen.

Afterwards Annie suggested that the couple take a walk on the beach before the hovercraft arrived. “It might be your only chance to get a break.”

They walked long the shoreline, their hands laced together.

“My mother watches Good Morning Panem sometimes,” Peeta said. His voice sounded oddly flat.

“I wonder if she was watching this morning.” Katniss was curious if her mother-in-law would recognize which son was starring in the video. If she thought it was Peeta, would she be embarrassed to think that he was cheating on his Seam-born wife or glad he’d come to his senses and fallen for a Delly, the merchant daughter of the shoemaker.

“If she wasn’t I imagine a customer has already told her.”

“I wonder if Prim and my mother heard about it?”

“No one who knows us is going to believe it,” Peeta reassured her.

“You’re right, but it’s embarrassing to be the center of attention for something like this.”

Peeta rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand reassuringly. “It is, but we’ll get past it. Look at what we’ve been through already.”

She knew he was right. The fact that they were even together as husband and wife and happy about it was miraculous when Katniss considered the circumstances that had brought it about.

“Hey, is that Cressida?” Peeta asked pointing to a woman walking on the sand toward them.

Katniss squinted in the sunlight. It did look like the director of The Match Game. She was wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals. A white hat covered the tattoos on her bald head.

“Kids,” she called to them. “I’m so glad to see you two.”

“Are you here to cover Brutus’ death?” Peeta asked.

“Yes, but I’m also here because of the recent revelations about your marriage.”

Katniss stomach dropped.

“We’re fine,” Peeta said, letting go of Katniss’ hand and wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her closer.

Cressida eyed them skeptically. “The entire Capitol is stunned by the news. But you two look like you’ve made up. You’re very forgiving Katniss.”

“I’m not.”

“It was my brother on the tape,” Peeta blurted out. “He brought a girl into our home while we were out.”

“Interesting,” Cressida said, but the look on her face was one of disbelief.

“It’s true,” Katniss insisted. “Peeta set his heart on me when we were five years old. He would never cheat on me.”

Cressida coughed. “I’m glad you believe so strongly in Peeta’s faithfulness. The thing is we’ve already had a woman come forward with a story that involves a relationship she had with Peeta during the filming of The Match Game.”

“What?” A surprised look crossed Katniss’ face and she turned to Peeta bearing a hurt expression.

“That’s ludicrous,” Peeta blustered. “Who would say that?”

“Elleway Ohanlay.”

“I don’t even know that name.”

“You did an episode on her cooking show. I think you made cheese buns.”

Katniss wondered if it was the woman with pink hair that had dressed like a butterfly. She’d watched a tiny portion of that show with Annie when she was visiting the beach house last time.

“Oh.” Peeta sounded nervous. Katniss turned to look at him, but he looked away from her and at Cressida. She felt her stomach drop even further.

“At any rate you both need to come back to the Capitol and do some publicity to show that you’re still a couple.”

“No,” Katniss said. “My contract ended when I got married. The Match Game is over.”

“Actually it didn’t,” Cressida explained. “Your contract explicitly stated that there would be follow-ups on your relationship over time.”

“It’s only been two months since our wedding.”

“Yes and with this latest gossip, people are clamoring to know more. You’ll both have to address this wrinkle in your relationship.”

“But why do we have to go to the Capitol?” Katniss voice took on a pained sound. “Can’t you interview us here in Four or back home in Twelve? It won’t take long to explain that it was Rye, not Peeta on the tape.”

“Well, we’ve got more than a single interview planned,” Cressida said. “You and Peeta have been slated to be the first couple to star on a new counseling show that will premiere on television next week. It’s called The Marriage Game with Love Guru Effie Trinket.”

Chapter Text

Katniss and Peeta walked back to the house with Cressida. The director excused herself to supervise the taping of the interviews. It seemed there was nothing the Capitol wouldn’t film if it could be made into a t.v. show.

The production crew carried chairs onto the sand and a man, who was introduced as a special crime investigator from the Capitol, read questions from a prepared script. One by one the victors sat down and their answers were filmed.

Katniss and Peeta stayed to watch the first couple of interviews, but then went inside the house to sit in the living room away from the glare of the sun. Peeta’s fair skin had already taken on a pink hue.

“You need to get some salve on that burn or it’s going to sting like crazy later,” Annie said handing Peeta a tube of ointment.

Katniss took the tube from Peeta and squeezed some of the white cream onto her fingers and began to rub it into his face. From there she moved to his neck and then his arms, rubbing circles into his skin. She was ready to start on his legs when Peeta leaned forward and whispered, “maybe we should go back to our room.”

Katniss blushed and glanced around. The other victors were talking quietly with each other, waiting for their moment in front of the camera. No one seemed to be paying any attention to them.

“Okay,” Katniss agreed. She and Peeta stood up and went back to the tiny room on the ground floor where they’d spent the night.

When Peeta opened the door, they startled to see that Mags was already inside.

“Oh, sorry,” Peeta apologized. “We didn’t know you were in here.”

“Quite all right.” Mags had been lying down on the bed, but she lifted her head off the pillow and sat up, leaning back against the wall.

“We’ll clear our stuff out,” Peeta said.

The older woman nodded.

Katniss followed Peeta inside and picked up the clothes she’d tossed onto the end of the couch to stuff into her bag.

“I’m sorry that you’ve gotten mixed up in this mess with the victors,” Mags said. “Someone is targeting us for extinction.”

Katniss gasped at the woman’s choice of words.

“Do you really think so?” Peeta questioned.

“You can’t argue against five dead victors in a couple of weeks.”

Possibly six, counting Haymitch, Katniss thought. But she wasn’t going to mention that. She still wasn’t sure what game Haymitch was playing with his shoulder wound and talk of a mysterious visitor. Maybe her neighbor was lonely and making up stories to get attention.

Mags, however, was the only person other than Peeta or herself that Katniss could truly rule out as not having been involved in Brutus’ death since she’d only arrived at the house this morning. She might have some insight into what was happening.

“Finnick thinks another victor killed Brutus,” Katniss stated. “It seems logical since no one saw anyone enter else enter or leave the house. Do you think someone has snapped? Maybe one of the victors thinks he or she is still in the arena.”

Mags laughed. “That’s a idea, but if you’d been in The Games you’d understand that you never really leave the arena.”

Katniss wanted to ask Mags what she meant, but Annie stood in the doorway. “Katniss and Peeta, the investigator wants to talk with you now.”

They said goodbye to Mags and carried their bags out of the room. Annie showed them a coat closet near the front door where they could store their luggage, before walking them outside to meet with the investigator.

The man interviewed each of them separately, Katniss first and then Peeta. Nervously Katniss repeated Finnick’s story that Brutus had been found dead on the beach. She wasn’t a good liar and she worried that the investigator would see through her words.

Peeta was interviewed next. Afterwards the investigator brought them back together and asked them why they were attending a reunion for victors when they’d never participated in The Hunger Games.

Katniss flashed Peeta an uneasy glance, silently begging him to answer the question. He was clearly the better speaker. She hoped he didn’t use Haymitch’s ridiculous suggestion and imply that they were having problems in their marriage.

Peeta didn’t. He told the investigator that Finnick had invited them to visit District 4 at their wedding. They’d decided to take him up on the offer since their neighbor was going and needed some assistance because of a shoulder injury that Katniss, as the daughter of a healer in District 12, was monitoring.

Cressida followed them back into the house. “The hovercraft will be leaving as soon as we finish the interviews,” she said.

“Do we really have to go?” Katniss asked.

“Unless you want to be sued for breach of contract, I’d strongly recommend you come with us,” Cressida said. “Besides don’t you want to clear your husband’s reputation?”

“I trust Peeta. I don’t think he did anything wrong.”

“Maybe. But if you don’t defend him publicly, the word will never get out. Everyone in Panem will assume he’s a womanizer. It certainly won’t help the sale of his cookbook of family recipes.”

Katniss could care less about her personal reputation with people that didn’t know her. But the idea that people would think poorly of Peeta made her livid. Her husband was too good. By marrying her, he’d already strained his relationship with his family. And he had worked hard on that cookbook. It’s not fair she thought bitterly.

“All right,” she grudgingly agreed. “But we need to say some goodbyes first.”

“Take your time, it will be another hour before we go.”

They found Annie and Finnick in the kitchen. “We’re leaving for the Capitol when they’re done with the questioning,” Katniss explained. “We’re going to receive marriage counseling on a new t.v. show.”

Finnick snorted. “We’ll definitely be watching that show.”

“Hoping to pick up some tips?” Peeta teased.

Finnick smiled. “Well, since our relationship isn’t exactly legal…”

Annie side-eyed Finnick, stopping him cold.

“You’re married?” Katniss was astounded. “Only single men were supposed to be on The Match Game.”

“Like you were single too,” Finnick retorted. “We’re as married as you were when you were on the show.”

“You had a toasting?” Peeta raised his eyebrows.

Annie shook her head. “We do it with fishing nets and a song in Four.”

“Why hide it then?” Peeta asked.

“It keeps Annie out of the spotlight. If it weren’t for the Capitol, I’d tell everyone.” Finnick wrapped his arm around Annie’s waist, pulling her close.

“I wish you two didn’t have to leave so soon,” Annie said. “It’s not often we get to socialize with another couple.”

“Yeah, with people we’re fairly certain aren’t trying to kill us,” Finnick added.

Katniss laughed at his comment. “It’s too bad you had to cancel the meeting.”

Finnick smiled cryptically. “You know I had a very interesting conversation with a friend in the Capitol last night. There are changes afoot that may presently come to a head. Maybe our privacy will soon become a non-issue.”

Katniss wondered at his words, but Finnick didn’t offer any explanation.

Both couples talked a while longer, making plans for a future visit to Four and promising to keep in touch.

Afterwards Katniss and Peeta went in search of Haymitch. “We should tell him he’s on his own to get back to Twelve,” Katniss said. Despite her frustration at having to go to the Capitol, she was glad to be done with caretaking their neighbor.

They found him talking to Beetee on the deck. “Let’s take a walk,” Haymitch said before Katniss could say anything to him. He set off onto the sand and the couple followed him. He stopped at the water’s edge.

“What’s going on?” Peeta asked.

“There’s something I didn’t tell you about the person that paid me a visit in Twelve. It was Brutus.”

“So Brutus tried to kill you and then someone killed him?” Katniss asked, attempting to piece the details together.

“That’s about it,” Haymitch concluded.

“Then what are you worried about? He can’t hurt you now. He’s dead.”

“He can’t, but the person who killed him can. And I think the whole thing ties back to the Capitol. So I’ll be going there with you two.”

Katniss scowled. “To play detective?”

Haymitch nodded.

“Did you all tell this to Cressida?”

Haymitch snorted. “No. I had to play another angle. I volunteered to be your marriage mentor for the show.”

“What?” Katniss shouted. “You know nothing about our marriage.” The drunk had some nerve.

“You know it might not be a bad idea for him to tag along,” Peeta said.

Katniss glared at her husband. Why would Peeta want Haymitch to come with them?

“If we’re gone, Haymitch will be alone in Victor’s Village,” he explained. “With all the deaths, he’s probably safer being around others.”

Katniss shook her head in exasperation. “Maybe he should stay in Four with Finnick and Annie then.” She turned quickly.

“Wait, you …” Haymitch began, bending over to pick up something that glittered in the sand.

But Katniss didn’t stop to listen to the victor. She rushed off, with Peeta chasing after her. Maybe marriage counseling wasn’t such a bad idea.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“Welcome, welcome, welcome,” Effie trilled when she opened the door to the penthouse.

“Katniss and Peeta.” She smiled at them, until her eyes flew to Haymitch who was standing behind the pair along with Cressida.

“So good to see you too, Haymitch.” But Katniss could tell by Effie’s tone that she wasn’t happy at all to see the District 12 victor.

“You still around Effie?”

“Oh yes, and I’ve moved on to bigger things. I have my own t.v. show. And your neighbors will be my very first guests.”

She redirected her attention to Peeta and Katniss. “I’m sorry that your marriage has gotten off onto the wrong foot, but I’m here to fix it.”

Katniss opened her mouth to speak, but Effie called, “come in and sit down.”

The couple held hands as they walked to the sofa and sat together. Katniss had already calmed down from her outburst on the beach. She couldn’t stay angry with Peeta for long; besides she needed his help as they faced the Capitol.

“Oh, you’re already making up,” Effie said, her eyes focused on their hands, which were laced together. “Don’t make up too quickly, though, we need to save that for the show.”

“That’s the problem,” Katniss explained. “We shouldn’t be here. There’s nothing wrong with our marriage. We get along fine.”

“I must differ. I saw that video that’s being aired nonstop throughout Panem.”

“It’s not me though,” Peeta said. “It’s my brother and his latest conquest.”

Effie gave Cressida a curious look. “Could I speak with you privately?” she asked the director.

The two women walked into the kitchen that was hidden behind a panel in the nearby dining room wall.

“I never expected to see this place again,” Haymitch said as he glanced around the room. He was seated in an armchair facing Katniss and Peeta.

“And here with two new tributes, ah, t.v. stars even. Well, at least you’re not facing imminent death.”

Katniss shifted uncomfortably, thankful she’d never been reaped and had to depend on this man to save her life.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Cressida and Effie’s voices.

It must be an argument or at the least a heated conversation if they could hear them through the walls. Katniss clearly heard the words, “brother,” “cheater,” “cookbook,” and “Elleway Ohanlay.” Her thoughts flew again to the memory of that strangely dressed woman in the pink wig.

She didn’t feel threatened by that freakishly-dressed woman who had stepped forward to accuse Peeta of who knows what. But still, she wondered if Peeta was hiding something. Even now he’d lowered his head and was gazing at a spot on the floor.

Effie and Cressida soon came out. “Well, I can see we have a lot of work cut out for us,” Effie said cheerily, masking whatever frustrations she’d been shouting about to Cressida. “We’ll be doing some preliminary filming tomorrow morning. But now you’ll have to be prepped.”

“Ha ha,” Haymitch laughed.

“Don’t laugh Haymitch you’ll need to be prepped as well. We can’t have Katniss’ and Peeta’s marriage mentor looking like a pig, can we?”

Cressida escorted the three of them to the basement of the building where Katniss had been prepped for The Match Game. Peeta and Haymitch were directed to a room across the hall from Katniss. When Katniss opened the door on her side of the hall, the same three technicians that worked with her previously greeted her.

Flavius screamed. “You haven’t plucked your eyebrows. No wonder your husband is looking elsewhere.”

Katniss flinched.

Venia handed her a bathrobe. “Take your clothes off.”

Katniss took the robe and headed for the bathroom. She dreaded the next couple of hours.

She closed her eyes trying to focus on the conversation instead of the pain as her naked body was plucked of all extraneous hair. But the pain proved so awful at times that she lost track of what was said because she was trying not to cry out.

“Did you hear about Fulvia?” Venia asked the others after a while.

Katniss’ ears perked up because Fulvia was the first person they’d mentioned that she even knew.

“She’s taken a leave of absence from her job,” Venia gossiped.

“What is it for this time?” Flavius asked.

“Food addiction.”

“So sad,” Flavius muttered.

Well, at least Peeta won’t have to bake for the woman while they were in the Capitol, Katniss thought.

“We’re done with you now,” Venia said to Katniss. “You can put the robe back on. We’ll do your hair and nails now.

“I don’t know how you could get so hairy in just a couple of months,” Flavius muttered, as Katniss sat up and got down from the table and reached for the robe. “Don’t they have razors in Twelve?”

She sat down in a chair, while Octavia and Venia tackled her hair. Flavius worked on her nails.

The conversation continued and when Octavia mentioned Brutus’ death, Katniss listened carefully.

“Who’s behind all the victors’ deaths?” Venia asked.

Flavius giggled. “I don’t care, as long as no one hurts Gloss.”

“He’s a favorite of yours, isn’t he?” Octavia commented.

Flavius giggled. “You could say that. I’m working on him tomorrow, prepping him for a magazine shoot.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Venia said. “They’re killing off the useless ones, have you noticed?”

The useless ones. Katniss wanted to ask Venia what she meant.

“Most of them are useless,” Octavia piped up. “Their time is past. And now we have to pay them stipends for the rest of their lives and they don’t even do any work mentoring The Games. Such a waste. This government can’t afford it. Do they think we’re made of money? If you ask me we should bring back...”

“Oh Octavia, when did you get so political?” Venia interrupted her.

Useless. Stipends for the rest of their lives. Katniss grew nervous. Although the prep team was talking about the victors, they also were describing her. She was receiving a stipend from the Capitol for the remainder of her life. She supposed she was useless to the Capitol as well. Would she be targeted for annihilation when they were finished eliminating the victors? Was the Capitol behind the killings?

When her hair was completed, Venia told her to dress.

“Is Cinna here to meet with me?” Katniss asked. When she had been prepped for The Match Game, the stylist had talked with her afterwards. He had been a good friend to her during the filming of that show designing all her clothes for it and alerting her to the cameras in the penthouse.

“No,” Venia said. “I guess you haven’t heard. He was assaulted on the street a couple of weeks ago. He’s still in the hospital.”

Katniss gasped. “Will he be all right?”

“I think so,” Venia replied. “But it will be a while before he’s able to work again. Portia, the stylist for Effie’s show, will put together your clothing. You’ll meet her tomorrow.”

Katniss nodded, and then went into the bathroom to dress. She couldn’t help but think about Cinna. He had been a wonderful friend to both her and Peeta. Maybe she could visit him in the hospital before she returned home.

When she got back to the penthouse, Peeta and Haymitch were sitting at a side table in the living room playing chess.

Peeta lifted his head from the pieces on the board. “You look nice,” he said.

Katniss smiled and spun around completely. “I’m glad you like it. Flavius was sure you’d leave me since my eyebrows haven’t been plucked in months.”

“I never even noticed,” Peeta admitted. “Should I have?”

Katniss shook her head.

Peeta’s hair and Haymitch’s hair had been trimmed and their skin looked smoother. They must have had a facial, Katniss thought.

Effie and Cressida were gathering up papers that were spread across the dining table. “You’re just in time for dinner Katniss,” Cressida said. “Come to the table everyone. Let’s eat now. We need to talk about tomorrow’s taping.”

A silent young man dressed in white set out the meal. Duck in orange sauce, wild rice, green peas, and rolls with a layered, flakey texture. He brought out a bottle of alcohol, and poured a small amount for everyone.

Cressida held up her glass. “Let’s toast to the success of your new show Effie.”

Effie raised her glass, as did Haymitch. Katniss glanced at Peeta to see him raise his glass as well. Grudgingly Katniss lifted her glass also. She didn’t want to be here, she could care less about Effie’s new show, but until she could figure a way out she was stuck.

She sipped at the drink and set her glass down.

“This champagne is lovely,” Effie said, after quickly swallowing the entire glass.

Katniss exchanged a quick glance with Peeta. A tiny smile formed at the corners of his mouth. They’d both seen Effie drunk before. Even Haymitch hadn’t chugged down his drink.

The group ate in silence. When they were finished the young man in white collected their plates and then brought in a cake topped with whipped cream. He cut it and put a piece in front of each of them.

“It’s probably not as good as yours Peeta,” Cressida said after they’d all eaten a few bites.

Peeta flushed slightly and smiled. “It’s very good.”

Effie cleared her throat and pushed her plate away. “Let’s talk about the show now.”

“We’re filming Dr. Aurelius’ individual interviews with Katniss and Peeta tomorrow,” Cressida said. “We’re very fortunate he’s willing to spend his day off helping us.”

“I can’t believe he’s going to appear on my show,” Effie said excitedly. She turned to Katniss and Peeta to explain. “Dr. Aurelius has his own t.v. program where he diagnoses everyone’s problems and tells them exactly what to do to fix their lives. He’s very popular. Everyone in the Capitol watches his show.”

“Why do we have to talk with a doctor?” Katniss asked, setting down her fork.

“Because of the tape,” Effie explained.

“But it’s not Peeta.”

“But it’s already out there. We have to do damage control and this show will help. Besides there’s also that accusation by Elleway Ohanlay we have to address.”

“Well, to be fair they weren’t married at the time,” Cressida said.

Again that name. Katniss’ throat tightened. What was Peeta hiding from her?

As soon as Effie and Cressida left the penthouse, Haymitch ordered both of them up to the roof.
Katniss and Peeta followed him down the hallway, waiting until Haymitch propped open the door to the roof with one of his shoes. She and Peeta followed him up the stairs.

They stood near the railing at the edge of the building looking down at the traffic below. It was breezy, and Katniss shivered and wrapped her arms around her chest. Peeta stepped closer and wrapped his arms round to keep her warm.

“We can speak freely up here,” Haymitch explained.

Katniss rolled her eyes. “We’ve been here before you know.” She paused for a moment. “So what are your plans Haymitch?”

“I have friends here. I’ll spend tomorrow nosing around a bit, see if I can find out what’s going on.”

“Do you think you’ll be safe?” Peeta asked. He bent his head to look at Katniss. “One of the women prepping us was gloating about the victors’ deaths.”

“Octavia mentioned something too. She said the victors’ stipends cost the government too much money. She sounded like she was glad that they were being killed.”

Haymitch sighed. “It’s amazing how quickly they build people up and then turn to knock them down.”

Katniss shivered at the thought. Only two months ago, she and Peeta were the darlings of the Capitol. Now she was an object of pity and Peeta was a cheater.

“I’ll get a knife from the kitchen to take along just in case,” Haymitch muttered.

How long did the arms of the television network reach? Katniss wondered. Long ago her mother had insisted that the television network had masterminded the political coup that had overthrown President Coriolanus Snow. At the time Katniss had thought her mother was exaggerating. But maybe she was right.

Even with Peeta’s arms around her, Katniss shivered.

“It’s chilly up here,” Peeta said. “Let’s go downstairs. We can use Katniss’ pin to keep our conversation private.”

Unconsciously Katniss glanced down at her shirt for a moment and then gasped. The pin, which she clearly remembered attaching to her shirt that morning, wasn’t there. Where was it? She searched her memory. She remembered Beetee commenting on it at breakfast that morning. But after that so much had happened that she’d forgotten about it altogether.

Had it fallen off? But where? At Finnick’s house, on the sandy beach that formed his backyard, in the hovercraft, in the penthouse or, in the bathroom of the prep room where she had undressed?

The food she’d enjoyed earlier rose in her throat. The pin was gone. What was she going to do now?

Chapter Text

“It’s gone.” She choked out the words.

“Did it fall off?” Peeta eyed the ground at their feet.

“I don’t know.” She felt like crying. She depended on that pin to keep life normal. Without it, all their privacy was gone. They were back to being spied on.

Haymitch snorted. “Well, at least I’ll have a peaceful evening.”

Katniss glared at him.

“You do know that the walls of the penthouse are filled with cameras.”

“I’m aware of it.” Her voice was sharp.

“It’s okay,” Peeta said, his hand rubbing her arm reassuringly. “We’ll figure something out. We can always communicate by writing things down.”

Yes, that would work fine for conversations. But they were married now. She wanted to do more than talk.

So far they’d been able to avoid giving the Capitol any glimpse of their intimate moments. But they’d been apart for so long now. And she had foolishly wasted the few opportunities they’d had to be together at the beach house.

Katniss sighed. Maybe they could locate the cameras in the walls and cover the lens.

After they went downstairs, Haymitch went to his room, the bedroom he said he’d occupied for years as mentor while filming The Games. It was the same room Peeta had used previously.

While Katniss searched for the lost pin, Peeta looked for writing materials. But someone had cleaned out the notepads, pencils, and pens since their last stay.

“There’s nothing to write with,” Peeta said, after he’d completed his search. “But I have an idea,” he whispered, leaning close to her ear, tickling it with his warm breath. “Do you have any lipstick?”

Katniss raised her eyebrows. She never wore makeup unless someone applied it for her. She hadn’t packed any. Surely Peeta knew that. But then he’d never even noticed her hairy eyebrows.

Katniss shook her head.

“Do you think there might be some left behind from last time?”

“Possibly.” She wondered at Peeta’s idea. She went into the large bathroom attached to her former bedroom. The vanity had many drawers and it was fully stocked with brushes, combs, soaps, special facial crèmes, hair products, and a wide selection of makeup.

Katniss grabbed a lipstick from the drawer, and pulled off the cap. She scrunched up her face when she saw the shocking purple hue. “I found one.”

Peeta laughed when he saw the garish color. “Are they trying to make you over?”

“Yes, into a Capitol beauty.”

As she spoke, the name of Elleway Ohanlay flew into her thoughts. She needed to ask Peeta about her.

Peeta reached for the lipstick and she handed it to him. She followed him into the large tiled shower. He sat down on the floor and began to write, leaning over the letters to block them so they couldn’t be read if there was a camera nearby. Last time they’d stayed in the penthouse the bathrooms had been camera-free, but they didn’t want to take any chances.

She sat down beside him and read, Do you know where the cameras are in the bedroom?

She nodded. There was one in the wall over the headboard of the bed. She wondered if the lens could be turned to focus on the bed.

Katniss took the lipstick from Peeta. What happened with Elleway? she wrote.

She looked up and caught his eyes, noticing something in them she’d only seen once before when he’d first revealed his feelings for her. Embarrassment.

“It’s nothing,” he whispered.

“Tell me.” She tried to sound encouraging even though inside she was shaking.

He took the lipstick from her. “It would take too long to write.”

So it wasn’t her imagination. Something had happened. Her chest tightened, a feeling of panic settling over her.

When did you last see the pin? Peeta wrote, changing the subject entirely.

“I can’t remember,” she said, angry with herself for losing that valuable item and upset with Peeta for whatever secret he was keeping. “I’m really tired. I’m going to bed.”

She got up and left the bathroom. Effie hadn’t assigned them specific bedrooms. She guessed she and Peeta might as well stay in her old room.

She kicked off her shoes and pulled the comforter back, climbing into bed with her clothes on.

Peeta stood at the foot of the bed. “I’m not that tired. I’m going to get a snack.”

“Okay,” she said, as Peeta turned off the light.

She lay in the dark room wondering about what had just happened. Maybe Effie was right. Maybe their marriage could use some help.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Katniss woke up, the other side of the bed was undisturbed. There was no evidence that Peeta had even slept with her.

Was he angry? Or was he trying to avoid the Capitol from getting any piece of their relationship on film?

She got up and found an orange colored-dress in the closet. Back to their old games, she thought as she carried the dress into the bathroom.

She quickly stripped and stepped into the shower on top of the purple writing. As she pushed at the buttons along the side of the shower, jets of water sprayed out. She twisted a few of the showerheads toward the floor to scrub the tiles.

Katniss stayed in the shower until the floor was clean. She dressed and left the room in search of both Peeta and breakfast.

“There you are Katniss,” Effie called from the dining table when Katniss came into the large living room area.

Cressida was sitting next to her drinking from a mug. The table was laden with platters of food, sliced fruit, sausages, fried eggs, and biscuits. The smell of coffee wafted toward her.

“Where’s that husband of yours?” Effie asked as she got closer.

Katniss shook her head. He obviously hadn’t cooked breakfast if Effie was asking about his whereabouts. A panicked thought flew into her head, the result of having seen a dead man in her bathtub only a day and a half earlier.

Behind her she heard a snort. “Lover’s tiff,” she heard Haymitch call from behind her.

She didn’t answer Effie’s question or reply to Haymitch’s comments. Instead she sat down and piled food on the plate in front of her.

“Sorry to be late,” Peeta said as he rushed to the table a moment later, sitting next to Haymitch and across from Katniss. She noted that he was wearing green again.

“It’s just like old times,” Effie said as she looked around the table. “Did everyone have a good night’s sleep?”

“I slept like a baby,” Haymitch said. “I’m guessing that means you two are fighting.” He turned his head from Peeta to Katniss.

“No.” They answered in unison. Surprised she saw an apologetic look in Peeta’s eyes.

“What’s our schedule today Effie?” Peeta asked, deftly changing the subject.

“You’ll each be meeting privately with Dr. Aurelius,” said Effie. “We’re filming the session so we can use the footage as part of the show. While one of you is with Dr. Aurelius, the other will work with Portia the new stylist.”

“When can we go back to District 12?” Katniss asked, setting her fork down.

“Ready to return home so quickly Katniss?” Effie asked. “You act like you don’t like the Capitol.”

“I don’t like you interfering in our lives.”

“We’ve already been over all this,” Cressida said. “But to answer your question, you can go home on Friday after the show ends. We’ll even arrange for a hovercraft to take you there.

A knock on the door ended the conversation. Cressida got up and opened it. Everyone turned to look as a tall, middle-aged man with a bald head waxed to a glossy sheen and a sandy brown mustache entered the penthouse, followed a slim woman with mocha skin and short curly hair. A man carrying a portable camera on his shoulder followed.

“Dr. Aurelius, so good to see you,” Effie called out.

“So this must be Katniss and Peeta,” the doctor said. He walked to the table approaching Peeta first to shake his hand. Katniss had always thought Peeta’s hands were large but Dr. Aurelius’ hands dwarfed them.

The doctor walked around the table greeting everyone. “Still drinking?” he asked Haymitch.

The victor snorted. “I am doc, and it’s not because I’m thirsty.”

Dr. Aurelius smiled at Haymitch. “”Yeah, I know. But that doesn’t mean you should keep doing it. There are other ways to deal with your pain.”

Haymitch shook his head. “Like raising geese? It doesn’t have quite the same kick.”

At last Dr. Aurelius came to Katniss. “So glad you meet you. I’m a big fan.”

Katniss wondered why the doctor would even care about her. Was it because she had become a celebrity in Panem as a result of The Match Game?

“How about I interview Peeta first, then Katniss,” the doctor addressed Effie.

“Wonderful,” Effie said. She turned to Katniss. “You can go with Portia. She’ll help you pick out your clothing.”

As Katniss followed Portia down the hallway she heard Cressida and Effie arguing over the location of the interview, trying to decide which background would look best on camera.

Portia took her to the bedroom that housed Effie the last time Katniss stayed in the penthouse. There were two rolling racks, one filled with women’s clothing for her, a second with men’s clothing for Peeta.

Katniss was relieved to see colors other than orange on the rack.

“Show me what you like,” Portia said.

The time spent with Portia went by quickly. Katniss selected several garments and Portia had her try them on to check the fit. She’d gained a few well-needed pounds since her marriage and everything fit so much better. Portia helped Katniss accessorize with belts, scarves and even jewelry. On the bottom of the rack was a box filled with shoes, as well.

When they were finished, Portia helped Katniss carry the clothing, shoes, and varied accessories to the closet of the bedroom she and Peeta were using.

Katniss thanked Portia for her help. “It’s my pleasure. I talked it over with Cinna before I gathered these items.”

“How is he? I was hoping I could visit him before we leave the Capitol.”

“He’s doing better. I’m sure he’d love to see you.”

It wasn’t much later that Cressida appeared at the door with Peeta. “Dr. Aurelius is ready to interview you.”

“He’s a good guy Katniss,” Peeta mumbled. His eyes were red rimmed.

Katniss scowled. He caused her husband to cry and Peeta thought that was good? A wave of anger swept over her. She’d give this head doctor a piece of her mind.

She followed Cressida back to the living room. One of the sofas had been moved and a few lights had been set up around it.

“Over here, Katniss,” Dr. Aurelius called.

She sat down. Cressida played with her hair a bit and then attached a microphone to the collar of her dress.

Katniss stared directly into the lens of the camera.

Dr. Aurelius cleared his throat. “Don’t look directly into it. This isn’t your first rodeo. You know what to do. Just focus on me.”

Katniss scowled. The doctor’s ego irritated her, but she turned her attention back to him.

“Action,” Cressida called.

“So Katniss, what’s your story?”

Katniss stared at the doctor dumbly. What? “I don’t have a story.” Nothing I want to tell you she thought.

The doctor snorted. “I was born at night, but I wasn’t born last night. Of course you have a story.” He cleared his throat and then continued. “You were raised in District 12. You have a younger sister and a loving mother. Your father died around the time you were hitting puberty, a very important time in a young girl’s life. About two and half months ago you married Peeta Mellark, a young man from your district, in a wedding all of Panem saw on live television.”

“If you already knew that why did you ask me?”

Dr. Aurelius smiled. “I can see you’re going to be a hard nut to crack. Peeta broke much easier.”

She scowled. “Leave Peeta alone.”

“Ah, you feel the need to protect him, do you?”

Katniss shook her head. “No.”

“He’s a fine young man,” Dr. Aurelius said. “But the way you two got together was unconventional to say the least.”

She didn’t reply, and tried to keep her face passive, but she couldn’t help but agree with the doctor.

“If circumstances had been different, how do you think things would have played out?”

Katniss truly loved her husband. But she had considered, on a few occasions, what would have happened if there had never been The Match Game. Would Peeta have gathered the courage to declare his love for her? Maybe. But would she have accepted that love. She wasn’t sure. She was a very stubborn person. She often had to be dragged kicking and screaming into change of any kind.

“Marriage can be difficult enough for people whose relationship developed in a more traditional fashion,” the doctor continued. “But for a couple whose relationship was forged in the lights of the cameras, it can be hellish.”

“Our marriage isn’t hellish.” Katniss spat out.

“How would you describe it then?”

“Good.” At least it had been until a week ago when Peeta had invited Haymitch into their home and they’d gotten entangled in the serial killings of the victors. Then there was the video of Rye and Delly in their house and the accusation of that Elleway woman. Peeta was keeping a secret from her and they couldn’t even discuss it properly because she’d lost the mockingjay pin.

Her face must have given away her despair, because Dr. Aurelius pounced.

“You’re not a very good liar, Katniss. How is it really?

“Not what I expected,” Katniss blurted out, surprising herself at her honesty.

“What did you expect?”

She shook her head, uncomfortable at admitting her feelings. She had felt strongly about Peeta when she agreed to marry him. But since then her feelings had intensified to such an extent that it scared her sometimes. If something were to happen to Peeta, she knew that she would turn into mush exactly like her mother had when her father had been died.

“You didn’t expect it to be real,” Dr. Aurelius answered for her.

She bit her lip and nodded as a tear slid down her cheek. Katniss wiped the back of her hand across her cheek in embarrassment. Stop it, she told herself, trying instead to focus on her anger at this new invasion into her personal life. She was revealing far too much to the doctor. Things that should stay private not be shared with all of Panem.

The doctor reached into the side pocket of his jacket and handed Katniss a handkerchief. Reluctantly she reached for it, dabbed her cheeks, and then twisted it anxiously between her fingers.

“It’s clear to me that you love Peeta. And after talking to him, I can see he feels the same about you. Unfortunately not everyone shares in that love. Am I right?”

Katniss was surprised at the direction that Dr. Aurelius was taking. “My family does,” she muttered, “but Peeta’s…” Her voice trailed off. Other than Mr. Mellark, none of Peeta’s family liked her. And Peeta had a strained relationship with most of his family since their marriage.

“So the question is, how do you maintain a relationship that is under attack from outside forces? Will the challenges that you both face tear you two apart or bring you even closer? I believe the latter.”

Peeta was right. Dr. Aurelius didn’t seem like the other t.v. people in the Capitol that were focused on exploiting them. He seemed to realize they were real people with real problems, not celebrities. Katniss only wished they weren’t being filmed and that she could freely discuss with him her concerns about their lack of privacy.

Yes, they were under attack, but unfortunately the worst attack came from the Capitol, which was doing everything it’s power to interfere with their lives by broadcasting false information about them.

They spoke a little longer. Katniss was surprised at the man’s words. She found herself relaxing, yet she was careful with what she said because she was always aware that the cameraman was filming their conversation.

“Thank you Katniss for being so honest with me,” Dr. Aurelius said, before the camera was turned off.

It was past noon when Dr. Aurelius left the penthouse.

Effie sat down to lunch with Katniss, Peeta, Cressida, and Portia.

“I’m so lucky to get Dr. Aurelius to appear on my show,” Effie gushed. “He’ll attract so many more viewers. Too bad he couldn’t be on the show for all five days.”

Midway through the meal, Portia asked about Haymitch. “Where did he go? I need to fit him for a suit.”

“He said something about visiting some old friends,” Peeta said.

“Oh, I hope he didn’t go far,” Effie replied. “He hasn’t been to the Capitol in years and things have changed. Victors aren’t as welcome as they were in the past.”

A worried look passed over Peeta’s face and he caught Katniss’ eye.

“Do you need us for anything this afternoon?” he asked Effie.”

“No,” she said. “You’re free to do what you like.”

He looked at Katniss. “Let’s go for a walk.”

“Outside?” For some reason, the idea of roaming about the streets of the glitzy city filled Katniss with fear. Even though she’d stayed here before, she’d never left the building unless it was for official reasons. And even then, she’d always been in a car, never on foot.

“That might not be a good idea,” Cressida said. “You’ll be mobbed.”

“What do you mean?” Peeta asked.

Effie laughed. “Peeta, you and Katniss are famous here. Everyone watched the story of your romance unfold on television. You wouldn’t be able to walk a block without twenty people asking for your autograph or someone wanting you both to stop for a picture.”

Katniss wondered if Effie was exaggerating but she didn’t know. The hovercraft had landed on the rooftop of an adjacent building and they’d taken elevators and an underground passageway to reach the building they were in now. Were she and Peeta that well-known?

“If we’re so famous how were we able to travel on the train to District 4 without any problems?” Peeta argued.

Effie sniffed. “People in the districts are ignorant to the popular culture of the country.”

Because they have real lives that don’t revolve around the mindless preoccupation of people they’d seen on some t.v. show, Katniss thought.

“Okay, we’ll think of something else to do,” Peeta said.

“I’m sure you will,” Effie said, winking at Peeta and then turning her head to wink at Katniss, as well.

A shiver ran down Katniss back. Was Effie expecting them to spend their time in the bedroom? She wouldn’t be surprised if the woman was itching for footage of the two of them in bed. In fact, Katniss was mildly surprised that Effie hadn’t requested it for her show.

“Let’s go up to the roof,” Katniss suggested. It was the only way they could talk without being sure they weren’t being spied on.

“What a good idea,” Effie agreed.

Katniss looked at Effie suspiciously. Surely the woman was aware that the wind up there drowned out the audio.

“That sounds great,” Peeta agreed. “If you’ll excuse us.” He stood up and grabbed Katniss’ hand, pulling her from her chair and down the hallway toward the door that led to the roof.

“We’ll need to prop it open.” He let go of her hand and entered the closest room, the one he’d stayed in before that Haymitch was now occupying. He returned with the same bird statue he used in the past as a doorstop.

“That’s odd,” Katniss said.

“What?”

“Doesn’t that bird look familiar?”

Peeta looked at the statue. “You’re right.”

It was a mockingjay; the same bird that was on her lost pin. Mockingjays were funny birds and something of a slap in the face to the Capitol. They were a combination of jabberjays, a bird created by the Capitol to spy on the rebellion, and mockingbirds.

“I wonder if means something,” Katniss muttered.

Peeta shook his head and handed the statue to Katniss. “I’ll get another item to prop the door.”

He returned with a big book, Best Restaurants in the Capitol, and set it down. Carrying the statue, Katniss followed Peeta up the stairs to the roof. They walked to the bench in the garden area and sat down. It was a warm day. The air was still and without a breeze there were no chimes to drown out their conversation.

Katniss turned the statue over. “It’s probably a coincidence.”

Peeta took it from her and slowly rubbed his hands across the flat base. “There’s something here,” he whispered, his fingernail catching on a raised edge. He pushed it with his finger and a tiny door opened. There was a switch inside marked “On” and “Off.” The switch was set to “Off.” Peeta pushed the switch to the “On” position.

“Do you think it works like the pin?” Katniss asked.

“I don’t know. But it’s interesting that it was in Haymitch’s old room. I wonder how it got there? Does he know about it? ”

Peeta shut the tiny door. He leaned closer to Katniss and whispered into her ear. “We probably shouldn’t take any chances though.”

His warm breath tickled and she turned her head and met his eyes. They had so much to talk about, but she didn’t feel much like talking right now. She leaned toward him capturing his lips. Peeta wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her closer, but then broke free of their kiss.

“They’re probably watching,” he muttered as he buried his face in her hair.

“So?”

“I need to talk to you about Elleway.”

Katniss’ stomach dropped. She pulled away and Peeta loosened his arms around her.

“It doesn’t matter Peeta. We weren’t together then. It’s none of my business.”

“No, we’d already had the toasting.”

“But that wasn’t real.”

“It was to me.”

“I’d rather not know.”

“I understand. But I’m worried that there may have been cameras around. If there is a tape, well it would look bad, and it would be better if you were warned in advance.”

A cold feeling ran down Katniss’ spine. She thought she might be sick.

“What happened?” she whispered hoarsely, her throat tightening as she spoke.

Peeta coughed nervously. “After her cooking show was over I went back to the dressing room to clean the makeup off my face. I was just about to leave when she walked in. She was wearing a robe and talking about baking and all of a sudden she untied it and, well she didn’t have any clothes on. She jumped at me, and er, I pushed her away, but my hands accidentally landed on …” His voice trailed off. His face was beet red.

Katniss had mentally prepared herself for something far worse. But this, well, this was silly. Yes she was angry at Elleway for attempting to seduce her husband. But Peeta wasn’t truly her husband when it had occurred, even if Peeta thought otherwise.

However, she was grateful that he hadn’t taken advantage of the situation, and even had the decency to be embarrassed by it. And he was right, if a tape existed it, would definitely look bad.

“Katniss, I’m so sorry. That’s when I decided I had to leave the Capitol. I just, well that life wasn’t for me.”

Katniss remembered Peeta using those exact words when she met up with him again at the Mellark Bakery.

She stood up. “I want to show you something,” she said.

A curious look passed over Peeta’s face but he followed her through the rooftop garden, past the ornamental flowers, shrubs and trees, to the small greenhouse with its large glass windows.

“I found this place the day you came back to the Capitol to join the show,” she explained. She opened the door to find the roses were gone, although the lingering fragrance remained.

“This building was filled with roses.”

“That explains the smell.”

She walked inside, running her hand along the smooth shelving where the plants had stood. “I don’t think there are any cameras in here.”

Peeta set the bird statue down onto the shelf and glanced around the small room, looking carefully for the telltale indentation in the low wooden walls.

“I don’t see anything.”

A long board, about four feet in length, was propped up against part of the shelving to form a small enclose. Katniss dropped to the floor and scooted underneath the overhanging shelf and behind the board.

“What are you doing?” Peeta whispered.

“Why don’t you come down here Mr. Mellark and find out,” she said in her most seductive voice.

Peeta squatted down and crawled under the shelf. “Katniss, it’s really dark.”

“That’s the idea,” she breathed, slowly reaching out, feeling for his face, and cupping his cheeks to pull him toward her.

“You’re mine,” she muttered a moment before her lips crashed into his. She wanted to reassure Peeta and even herself that Elleway hadn’t changed things between them.

Much later when they lay facing each other partially dressed, but completely satisfied, Peeta suggested they return to the penthouse. “I want to ask Haymitch about the statue.

“All right,” she agreed. She was hot and sticky. A cool shower would be nice.

They rearranged their clothing and crawled out from underneath the shelving.

“This is a good find,” Peeta said, as they closed the door of the greenhouse.

Katniss nodded. She hoped they could return soon.

Peeta went into Haymitch’s room when they got downstairs to return the statue. Katniss was opening the door to their bedroom when she heard a gasp and then a loud scream from the living room.

She turned and caught Peeta’s eyes as he came out of Haymitch’s room.

“It sounded like Effie,” he said.

Katniss followed Peeta as he rushed down the hall toward the living room. Effie was hanging up the phone. Her hands were shaking.

“Haymitch has been kidnapped. Plutarch said the news network just got a call from a radical group called The Consortium.”

“What?” Cressida jumped up from her chair at the dining table where a pile of papers was spread out. “He’s supposed to be on the show tomorrow.”

“Why would they want Haymitch?” Peeta asked.

Effie turned to face the couple.

“He’s leverage. They’re going to kill him unless President Crane reinstates The Hunger Games.”

Chapter Text

“Oh, no,” Katniss panicked. Prim was only fourteen. If they reinstated The Games, she could be reaped and there was nothing Katniss could do to help her. She was too old to volunteer to take her place. In fact, Katniss wouldn’t put it past the Capitol to deliberately reap the sister of a television star simply for the publicity that would ensue.

She felt Peeta’s arm wrap around her. “It will be all right. They’ll get Haymitch back.”

Katniss squirmed in embarrassment. She hadn’t been thinking about their drunken neighbor at all.

Cressida sighed. “It’s good we sent Portia home, but we’ll have to revamp tomorrow’s show. It’s going to be a long night.”

Effie sat down at the table. “This is just like Haymitch.” She clicked her tongue in frustration. “Disappearing when he’s needed. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a friend call in the kidnapping just to get out of appearing on my show. He’s probably sitting drunk in a bar.”

Katniss had to admit Effie’s idea made a lot of sense.

Effie turned to the couple. “You’re both pink. You spent too much time in the sun. Stay off the roof. “

If their skin was pink it was the healthy afterglow of an afternoon well-spent in each other’s arms, not from sun.

“Okay,” Peeta agreed. “We’re going to clean up before dinner.”

When they got to their bedroom door, Katniss turned to Peeta. “Get the mockingjay statue,” she mouthed. Peeta brought it back to their room for safekeeping.

They returned to the living room after they’d showered. The dining table was piled high with notebooks and a couple of production assistants had arrived to join Effie and Cressida in their rewrite of the following day’s script.

Effie had turned on the large screen television that hung over the fireplace to monitor the Panem Evening News. Haymitch’s kidnapping was the top story

The news announcer, a woman with curly green hair and a tattoo of a grasshopper that ran the length of one cheek, said that The Consortium didn’t claim responsibility for the recent slew of victors’ deaths, but they applauded the killers. According to a written statement the group had submitted, the loss of The Hunger Games had weakened Panem’s economy in untold ways. The only way to stimulate it was to reinstate The Games.

The announcement was followed by a number of interviews with different people, all freakishly coiffed, who claimed to be intimate friends with Haymitch.

The last interview was with Plutarch Heavensbee, the head of network programming.

“I spoke with President Crane regarding this matter,” Plutarch said. “He has assured me that the kidnapping is being investigated at the highest levels. The president is determined to find Haymitch Abernathy. More importantly, he has assured me that as popular as The Hunger Games were, their time has passed. We will not be bringing back that show.”

Katniss rolled her eyes. Popular. No one in the districts would call The Games popular. Horrifying more likely.

Plutarch continued. “We’re on to bigger and more exciting shows.” He then went on to describe some of the new programs that would air soon. The first would follow the life of a child raised by a pack of dogs; the second would investigate a family, mother, father and two children that had been surgically enhanced to resemble pandas; the last was an in-depth study of the hygiene habits of the very rich.

“He didn’t even mention my show,” Effie screamed when Plutarch’s interview ended. She angrily turned off the television.

A waiter in white carried in trays of sandwiches and an urn of coffee. Katniss and Peeta carried their food back to eat in the living room. There was no place for them at the table. Effie’s staff had taken over.

After eating, they returned to their bedroom, but not before Peeta grabbed a pencil and a notepad from the dining table. They spent their evening passing notes to each other.

Do you think Haymitch is really kidnapped? Katniss wrote.

Probably. Peeta scribbled down.

Do you think the Capitol would bring The Games back?

I don’t think people would stand for it. It might start a revolution.

A shiver ran down her back. Peeta could be right. While Katniss didn’t know how people felt in other districts, she knew that in Twelve the end of The Games had given people hope again. Families could make long-term plans about their future without having the sword of a possible reaping hanging over the heads of their children.

The couple continued to exchange notes back and forth, both liking Portia’s clothing choices. Katniss wrote about Cinna, and Peeta offered to go with her to visit him. Both agreed that Dr. Aurelius did not seem like someone that lived in the Capitol. When Katniss asked her husband what he and the doctor had spoke about, Peeta wrote two words. My family.

Katniss guessed that was why Peeta was teary at the end of the conversation. She hadn’t realized that her husband was so hurt by the estrangement of his family. She promised herself to try to help him smooth things out with them when they returned to District 12.

They spent the night curled up in each other’s arms, but covered by layers of blankets, not wanting even their slumber together to be caught on camera.

They were woken up the next morning by the telephone. After several rings, Peeta loosened his hold on Katniss, pulled the blankets back, and walked across the room to answer it. The voice on the other end could be heard across the room. “Upy, Upy, Upy. This is a big, big, big day.”

Effie directed the couple to put on the clothes Portia had tagged for the first episode. Less than thirty minutes later, they were sitting in the back of a large car heading to the studio.

Cressida met them when they arrived and immediately separated the pair. Peeta was sent in one direction to be made up for the show; Katniss went to a different room.

There was another woman already in the make-up room when Katniss sat down. She appeared to be a few years older than Katniss. Her hair was honey-colored and her countenance was one of sweetness and innocence.

Katniss guessed she must be a Capitol starlet appearing on one of the myriad of shows also taping at the studio that morning.

“Your hair is so perfect,” one of the preps said to the golden-haired woman. “How do you treat it?”

“I use that product Cashmere advertises.”

“Oh, it’s your lucky day. We’re expecting her in here in a few minutes. Would you like to meet her?”

“Sure, but I’d rather meet her brother. He’s divine.”

As soon as Katniss was made up, Effie arrived to whisk her away to the small set. On one side was a sofa, on the other were two, large, throne-like chairs. The seating arrangement formed a wide, v-shaped formation. Three cameras were set up to film from all angles. There wasn’t an audience.

Peeta was already there. A stagehand was showing him how to attach a microphone to his blue jacket. Katniss walked toward him smiling, but Effie pulled her back.

“Remember, you’re supposed to be fighting.”

“But we’re not.”

“Not yet.”

A sinking feeling descended over Katniss. What did Effie mean?

The stagehand that had miked Peeta turned to Katniss next.

Cressida appeared and told the couple to sit on the sofa.

“Don’t get close,” she directed. “And whatever you do, don’t hold hands. Remember, this show is being aired live so I can’t make any edits.”

Peeta gave Katniss an apologetic look, and slid away from her to the end of the couch.

Effie sat in one chair. The other remained empty. Katniss wondered if it was there for Dr. Aurelius.

Cressida counted down from ten and called “action.” The theme music of the show began to play, a weird mixture of horns.

Effie opened by greeting the viewers at home and bragging about herself for a few minutes, before she introduced Katniss and Peeta.

Right after they said “hello,” a video montage played. There was a monitor to one side and they could watch the video as it was aired live to viewers.

It opened with Katniss’ nervous proposal to Peeta toward the end of The Match Game and segued into them dancing cheek-to-cheek on their wedding day. The next image was jarring – the grainy clip of Rye and Delly on their dining table. The video ended abruptly and Effie coughed loudly.

“How does that make you feel Katniss?” Effie asked pointedly.

“Angry,” Katniss replied. “That is not Peeta,” she began when Cressida yelled “cut to commercial now” and sprang forward.

“It may not be Peeta, but we don’t have much of a show if you reveal too much too soon,” Cressida explained. She looked at Effie. “Didn’t you explain this to them?”

Effie shook her head. “I thought they understood.”

“Apparently not.” Cressida turned to Katniss and Peeta. “You two need to be on the verge of breaking up before this show ends today. Now act like it.”

“The viewers need a reason to watch tomorrow,” Effie added.

Katniss scowled.

A red light on the camera flashed and Cressida called “action.”

“Yes, that is certainly not the man you married Katniss,” Effie said, picking up at the exact point where they’d left off. She cleared her throat. “Unfortunately, there’s even more. I’m sorry to be the bearer of such bad news.”

Effie looked to Peeta. “You’ve certainly been quite naughty it seems.”

Peeta shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He turned to glance at Katniss nervously. Automatically Katniss moved closer, reaching for his hand. From the corner of her eye she saw Cressida frantically waving the two of them apart.

“We have another guest,” Effie continued. “She claims she had a torrid affair with Peeta during the filming of The Match Game. Let me introduce Elleway Ohanlay.”

The woman with the honey-colored hair who’d been in the makeup room with Katniss came onto the set and sat in the throne chair at Effie’s side.

Katniss gasped. This couldn’t be Elleway. The woman who’d tried to seduce Peeta had pink hair and dressed like a butterfly. This woman was stunning. A bitter taste rose in Katniss
mouth.

“Hello Elleway,” Effie chirped. “I’m so happy you could take the time to join us.”

“Well, I’ve been quite busy with my cooking show, promoting my new line of bakeware, and then there’s my new cookbook that comes out next week,” Elleway said. “But of course I’d find the time to help your foray into daytime television.

Katniss’ irritation grew as she listened to Elleway sing her own praises.

“Oh yes, thank you for being here,” Effie said. “Especially when I know how difficult this must be for you. So do tell us what happened between you and Peeta.”

“Oh, that.” Elleway stared at Peeta. “You broke my heart you know.”

“I never...” Peeta began.

“Cut to commercial,” Cressida called. The director walked over to Katniss and Peeta. “It’s okay if you fight on camera. Maybe a shove or something.”

Katniss’ eyes widened. “What? We’d never hit each other.” She was stunned at the director’s suggestion.

Cressida shook her head. “I don’t think anyone would be surprised if it happened. Especially after that tape of Peeta’s mother.”

Katniss knew exactly what tape Cressida was talking about. It was footage of Peeta’s mother attacking the couple during the course of The Match Game. Although the tape had never been aired on television, bootleg copies had been circulated throughout Panem.

She glanced at her husband. A sickly expression was pasted on his face.

Katniss tore the mike off her collar and stood up. “I’m not doing this anymore.”

“More commercials,” Cressida shouted. She turned to Katniss. “We’re on live. You can’t leave now.”

“Just watch me.” Katniss walked off the set.

“Focus all the cameras on Effie and Elleway,” Cressida said. “One, two, three, we’re back.”

“Well,” Effie said to Elleway. “You’ve certainly upset Katniss.” Effie turned to look directly into the camera. “During our commercial break Katniss left the set.”

The camera panned the sofa to show Peeta sitting alone.

“Now Elleway, tell me exactly what happened.” Effie’s voice took on a syrupy tone.

Elleway grinned and then launched into a story about how she and Peeta had become secret lovers after he guest starred on her cooking show. “But then he abandoned me for Katniss. I was devastated.” Her lips formed into a pout. She turned toward Peeta. “But I forgive you. I’ve already moved on.”

From the side of the set where Katniss watched, fury bubbled up at the woman’s phony story. She couldn’t understand why Peeta wasn’t fighting back. She supposed he was too good a person to call out this liar publicly.

But Katniss knew she wasn’t. She could be violent, distrustful and manipulative. And when it came to protecting those she loved, she could be deadly.

She could see that smug Elleway beaming. Trying to smear Peeta’s good name to sell her show, and her bakeware, and her cookbook. Even her lie was flimsy. Peeta had left the Capitol right after that program. He hadn’t stayed around to cavort with a naked butterfly woman.

Katniss balled up her fists and rushed back onto the set. Past Peeta. Past Effie. She got right up into Elleway’s face.

“Liar,” she yelled, as she pulled her arm back and punched Elleway Ohanlay in the jaw.

It wasn’t until she heard Effie scream and Peeta had his arms wrapped around her waist and dragged her away that she realized she’d been played.

Katniss had turned the first episode of Effie’s new show into an instant hit.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“I didn’t even get to use my signature closing, “chins up, smiles on,” Effie complained.

They were sitting in a conference room at the studio, everyone but Elleway who had been taken to the hospital. She needed to be checked out as the blow to her face had shifted a piece of plastic that had been implanted in her chin to give her a more youthful appearance.

“We ran out of time,” Cressida said. “But I think Katniss’ ending was more effective. You can use your catch phrase tomorrow.”

Effie nodded. “How’s your hand?”

Katniss scowled. Someone had given her an ice pack to hold to her swollen knuckles. She was sitting next to Peeta, but he’d said little to her after pulling her off Elleway. She thought he’d be glad that she’d defended his honor, but she had the strong impression he was angry with her.

Cressida and Effie began talking about the next day’s show when Dr. Aurelius would be making an appearance. A woman with purple hair, purple eye shadow, and purple lipstick opened the door and stuck her head in.

“Turn on the t.v. You’ve made the lunchtime news segment,” she called out.

Immediately Cressida switched on the small television that sat on a shelf hanging from the ceiling.

“Katniss Mellark, that girl is on fire,” the announcer said, as Katniss watched herself run across the set and attack Elleway.

The third time they replayed the scene in the course of the news story, Katniss focused on Peeta’s reaction as it appeared on camera. A look of shock crossed his face when Katniss ran past him, but she could clearly see the flash of anger as she attacked Elleway.

She turned her head to glance at him as he sat at the conference table watching the drama unfold on the news show. His jaw was set. He looked like he was trying hard to control himself.

The next news story that followed was about Haymitch. According to undisclosed sources President Crane was personally negotiating with Haymitch’s kidnappers for his release. Effie sniffed at the news and turned off the television.

After the production meeting ended, Katniss and Peeta were sent back to the penthouse by car. Katniss wanted to explain to Peeta why she’d reacted the way she had, but she didn’t because the car was most likely bugged. Instead she stared out the window.

When they got back to the penthouse, Peeta spoke. “Let’s go up to the roof.”

He took the mockingjay statue with them.

“What was that all about?” Peeta asked when they were seated at the garden bench.

“I was trying to defend you. After what that woman said, you should be glad I did.”

“You’ve only made things worse.”

“Yeah, by drawing attention to Effie’s show,” she muttered.

“No.” Peeta’s voice was loud, rising above the sound of the chimes. “By handling things the same way my mother does.”

Katniss cringed. She’d been insulted when Cressida had brought up the idea of violent behavior and then she’d done that very thing. Now it appeared as if she were just as prone to pugnacious actions as her mother-in-law.

“It’s not the same thing,” she reasoned.

“It’s exactly the same. I think it was obvious that she was lying. Dr. Aurelius said Elleway Ohanlay has a reputation for seeking publicity by claiming relationships with men in the public eye.”

“Well it would have been nice if you’d told me that. Now I’ve made things worse. Instead you’ve treated me like I’m too stupid or weak to handle things.”

“It’s not like that. I told you the truth about what happened.”

“You did,” Katniss agreed. “But when she started talking and you didn’t say anything to defend yourself, well, it got me mad.”

“Sometimes the best defense is to say nothing. Let the truth unfold on its own.

Katniss shook her head. She didn’t agree with her husband. He was too optimistic in his view that things would eventually work out for the best, but she could tell that he wasn’t going to change his opinion.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized grudgingly.

“I am too. I don’t want to fight with you.” He wrapped his arms around her, crushing her to him.

When they went downstairs after making up in the greenhouse, the penthouse was empty. Katniss followed Peeta into the kitchen and helped him prepare a quick meal.

“What should we do now?” she asked after they finished eating. It was still early, too early to go to bed and lie there not touching because of the fear of cameras.

“I’d like to take a walk and get out of here.”

“But Effie said,” Katniss began.

Peeta shook his head. “No one will recognize us if we wear disguises.”

“Where will we get disguises?”

Peeta smiled. “The closets are full of them.”

After scrounging through every closet in the penthouse, Katniss found a poufy gold wig, probably left behind by Effie, to wear. There was also a long coat with a fur collar. She found a leather belt, taken from a drawer filled to the brim with leather items, to fasten it. Peeta dressed in a suit Portia had put into Haymitch’s closet, probably something she wanted the victor to wear on Effie’s show.

“We look like ourselves wearing someone else’s clothes,” Katniss said. “We need something more.”

“You need some makeup,” Peeta suggested.

Katniss shook her head. “I’m don’t know how to put it on.”

“Let me try. It can’t be harder than frosting a cake.”

Within minutes he had outlined her eyes with raccoon-like circles, brightened her cheeks with a pale lavender glow, and then colored her lips purple.

Katniss laughed when she saw her appearance in the mirror. “I look like a resident of the Capitol. Too bad there isn’t a wig for you, too.”

She opened all the cupboards in the bathroom looking for something to change Peeta’s appearance.

“Yes,” she shouted pulling out a box of dye. “Let’s color your hair.”

“But we’re on television tomorrow morning.”

“The preps can fix it,” Katniss insisted. “Besides it says it’s only temporary.” She pointed to the label on the box.

“All right then.”

Katniss read the directions. “Hang your head over the sink.”

Peeta removed the suit jacket. Katniss put on gloves and mixed the liquid into Peeta’s hair, careful not to drip it onto his clothing.

“Now stay there until I can rinse it off.”

“How long?”

Katniss studied the box. “It says thirty minutes.”

Peeta groaned. “I can’t hang my head over the sink that long.”

“Well do it for ten minutes, then we’ll call it good.”

When the time had passed, Katniss washed the dark coloring agent from Peeta’s hair and handed him a towel to dry it.

She gasped when he took the towel away from his head. “You look so different.”

Peeta frowned at his appearance in the mirror. “It’s awfully dark.”

“No, it looks good, really good.”

“Because you’re attracted to men with dark hair?”

“No.” For a moment Katniss wasn’t sure whether or not Peeta was teasing, but then she noticed the smirk on his face.

She grinned back in response.

“It’s getting late,” Peeta said. “Let’s get out of here.”

They made their way down the elevator, through the lobby of the building, and past the security guard who didn’t lift his head from the television show he was watching.

No one paid any attention to the couple as they meandered along the main shopping street, making fun of the clothing exhibited in the storefronts. They stopped for a moment to check out the erotic cakes displayed in the window of a bakery.

“Not much call for those at Mellark’s Bakery,” Peeta commented.

“It’s a good thing or I’d have to ban Prim from looking at the cakes in your front window,” Katniss replied.

The roar of voices flooded the broad street, drowning out even the sound of the cars.

“What’s that?” Katniss asked.

“Let’s find out.” Peeta linked his arm through hers as they set off.

Near the end of the block a large group of people were assembled, waving signs and yelling. They could make out the words clearly now. “Bring back The Games” was being shouted over and over again.

A chill ran down Katniss’ spine.

Chapter Text

“Are they shouting what I think?” Katniss asked her husband.

“That’s what it sounds like.”

The couple studied the assembled mob. Everyone was dressed in the usual outrageous Capitol attire, with one difference, their hair and makeup was flawless. There were a few Peacekeepers nearby observing as well.

Most protesters carried signed. Katniss grew angry as she read them. Make T.V. Fun Again. The Districts Owe Us. Hunger Games Reboot.

She noticed a familiar face holding one sign. “There’s Octavia.” She pointed the woman out to Peeta. Octavia was holding a sign that read, The Districts Broke It, They Should Fix It.

“The woman standing next to her is the prep that was acting so strangely around Haymitch,” Peeta said, pointing out a woman with bright green hair.

“Do you think this is the group that kidnapped him?”

“Possibly. They’re definitely calling for the reinstatement of the Games.”

“We should talk to them,” Katniss said, taking a step closer.

“Just a minute,” Peeta said. He was holding Katniss’ hand, and gently he pulled her back. “What should we talk to them about? Do you think they’ll tell us where Haymitch is so we can rescue him?”

As Peeta spoke, Katniss realized the futility of her idea. President Crane was negotiating with the kidnappers. She didn’t even know if this crowd belonged to that same group.

“You’re right.” She sighed in frustration, not comprehending how these people could be so cold-hearted as to want to reinstate The Games. Didn’t they understand how unpopular and utterly terrifying that show was to people in the districts?

“There seems to be a lot of preps in that group,” Peeta commented. “Octavia, that green-haired one and even that one.” He pointed to a man with blonde curls. “That one did my make up the last time I was here.”

Katniss wondered if the man was a prep that worked on Elleway’s show. She didn’t ask though because she didn’t want to think about that woman again.”

A thought occurred to her. “We should visit Cinna. Do you know where the hospital is located?”

Peeta shook his head. “We could ask for directions, though.”

“Good idea.” Katniss turned to a man with bright red curls in the style of Flavius who was standing nearby gawking at the protesters. “Do you know how to get to the hospital?” she asked in her best Capitol accent, raising her voice an octave higher and making sure the `s’ in `hospital’ had a hiss.

The man looked at her. “Are you injured? I could take you there.”

“We want to visit a sick friend,” she explained, nervous about the man’s offer. Did her recognize them? Instinctively she drew closer to Peeta.

The man glanced past her and stopped on Peeta, his eyes flickering up and down his body in a lascivious manner.

For a brief moment, Katniss wondered if she would end up punching another Capitol citizen today because of an attraction to her husband.

She cleared her throat and glared at him. The man looked back to her. “Oh, yes, go two more blocks and turn right. You can’t miss it.”

After a brief thanks, the couple took off.

A receptionist sat just inside the entrance to the hospital. She directed them to the fourth floor.

“Visiting hours are almost over,” she called as they walked to the elevator.

“Do you think there are any cameras in here?” Katniss asked as the double doors closed.

“Does it matter? We’re wearing disguises,” Peeta whispered, bending down to capture her lips.

All too soon the bell sounded that they had arrived at Cinna’s floor. They broke apart as the elevator’s doors opened.

Another receptionist was stationed in the lobby. She greeted them and asked whom they were visiting.

“Cinna,” Katniss said.

“He’s in room 451.” The receptionist pointed to the right.

The couple made their way to the room, noting the number above the open door. Katniss knocked lightly on the frame.

“Cinna,” Katniss called as she stepped into the room.

The stylist was lying in bed. Both of his hands were wrapped in large bandages. Fading purple bruises covered his face.

Cinna looked up at Katniss and Peeta, a puzzled look on his face. “Do I know you?”

Shocked that he didn’t recognize them, Katniss wondered for a brief moment if Cinna had taken a blow to the head as well, but then she remembered they were in disguise. “It’s me, Katniss.”

A look of understanding appeared on Cinna’s face, and then he burst out laughing. “Who did your makeup?”

“Peeta.”

“He should stick to baking.”

“It’s not that bad,” Peeta piped up. “Although I think she looks better without any.”

Cinna stared at Peeta for a moment. “I didn’t recognize you with the dark hair. You look like a different person altogether.”

“How are you Cinna?” Katniss came forward and stood to the side of the bed.

“Getting better every day.”

“Portia told me you were injured,” she added.

The stylist nodded. “All my fingers were broken and some of my ribs were cracked.”

Katniss gasped. “Who did it?”

Cinna shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. Let’s say I got on the wrong side of popular opinion.

“Why are you in disguise?” he changed the subject.

“We wanted to get out of the penthouse for a while and Effie said it wouldn’t be safe for us to go on the streets because we’d be recognized,” Katniss said.

Cinna nodded. “She’s right. Especially after your appearance on television this morning.” He gestured to the flat screen that hung on the wall across from his bed.

“Yeah, well...” she mumbled. She wished Peeta would chime in to help her out. But he remained silent.

“We saw Octavia in a protest rally before we got here,” Katniss said, grasping for something else to talk about. “People were carrying signs that called to reinstate The Hunger Games.”

“We recognized some other preps in the group,” Peeta added.

Cinna groaned, shifting in the bed slightly.

“Why do they want to bring back The Games?” Katniss questioned.

“When President Crane ended them, jobs dried up for a lot of the makeup artists,” Cinna explained. “They’re not very highly paid and The Games were a good way for them to showcase their talents and attract new clients. The Games also influenced Capitol fashions so all those ancillary industries were affected, as well.”

Katniss remembered that Finnick had told her something similar – that The Games had sustained the Capitol economy for years. Clearly many others in addition to the preps had been impacted by their loss.

“Haymitch has been kidnapped by people who want The Games back,” Katniss said.

“I heard about that. I’m guessing he’s your neighbor in Twelve.”

“He is,” Peeta said. “In fact, he came here with us.”

“He was supposed to be on Effie’s show but now, well, we don’t know where he is,” Katniss added.

An odd look crossed Cinna’s face, and then he smiled. “You should check my office in the remake center. You might find what you’re looking for there.”

“Is he…how do you even know?” Katniss questioned.

“It doesn’t matter,” Cinna answered. “Let’s say I’d like to stop something before it gets even worse than it already is. And be careful, you two. Look what happened to me when I crossed them.” He held up his hands.

“Maybe we should tip off the authorities,” Peeta suggested. “President Crane is looking to find Haymitch.”

Cinna snorted. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

A woman’s voice sounded over a speaker. “Visitors’ hours are now over.”

“Take care,” Katniss told Cinna. She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

Peeta got closer and squeezed his shoulder. “Thanks for the information about our neighbor.”

As they walked back to the penthouse, Katniss and Peeta talked over Cinna’s recommendation.

“Haymitch might not even be there,” Katniss said. “He could have been kept there and then moved.

“Well, it can’t hurt to check it out,” Peeta said. “Besides we have a good excuse.”

They had come up with a plausible reason to be in the remake area in the event they were stopped by anyone guarding the victor. They would say they were looking for a potion to bleach Peeta’s hair back to its natural ashy blonde shade.

When they entered the lobby of their building, the guard who’d been watching television when they left, was leaning back in his chair snoring.

They hurried past him and headed for the elevator that led to the underground remake center. It was dark when they got off the elevator. For a moment they froze as the elevator’s doors closed behind them and they were enveloped in blackness. Katniss clung to Peeta’s hand. But after a moment a whirring sound began, and a dim light came on. They slowly inched their way forward.

Katniss led the way to the room in which she’d been “beautified” a couple of times now. She winced at the loud tread of her husband’s gait, but then realized if anyone was there it was better that they didn’t appear to be doing anything out of the ordinary.

She switched on the light when they entered the preparation room. The door leading to Cinna’s office was entered through this room.

“I don’t think anyone’s here,” Katniss whispered. It was too quiet. Wouldn’t someone be standing watch if they’d secured Haymitch here?

“Let’s be sure.”

Katniss twisted the knob to open the office door. It turned easily. Slowly she pushed it open. A small lamp was lit but the room, which contained two sofas, a table and a small desk was empty.

“Not here,” she muttered.

“I wonder why the lamp is on?” Peeta asked. “Especially if Cinna’s been in the hospital for a while. Someone must be using his office.”

Disappointed, Katniss closed the door. “We can go.”

“What about my hair?” Peeta said. “Is there anything here that could wash out this dye?”

Katniss snorted. “Let’s look.” She began opening the cabinets and drawers, but didn’t find anything other than some fancy-smelling shampoos. She grabbed one bottle, the brand advertised by Cashmere. “We could try this.”

Peeta shook his head. “My mother uses that product. I don’t think it removes dye, although it will make my hair bouncy and smell great.”

“Let me check the bathroom,” Katniss said. “There might be something in there.”

The room was dark and she switched on the light. But nothing was inside the vanity. She was about to turn off the light when she heard a scratching sound coming from the direction of the small, enclosed shower.

“Peeta,” she whispered.

He was right behind her. “What?”

She tilted her head toward the frosted-glass shower enclosure. She opened one of the drawers in the vanity and picked up a hairbrush, directing it’s spiky bristles outward.

Peeta grabbed another hairbrush and turned it outward as well. The two of them crept forward. Peeta reached for the shower door handle and opened it.

Katniss gasped. Haymitch was sitting on the floor of the shower. He was bound in rope and his mouth was taped.

His eyes opened wide when he saw them.

Peeta bent forward and pull the tape off of the victor’s mouth, causing a loud ripping sound.

Loud curses followed. “You think you could made that hurt any less?”

“Sorry,” Peeta apologized.

“What in hell have you two done to yourselves? Is this some kinky sex thing?”

“Shut up old man,” Katniss yelled at Haymitch.

“Katniss,” Peeta said sharply.

She glared at her husband, ignoring his reprimand. “We need something to cut this rope.” She left the enclosure searching for something sharp. She found a scissor and brought it back. Peeta took it from her and picked carefully through the knot, undoing it. Katniss helped him unwrap Haymitch.

Peeta assisted Haymitch up and over the lip of the shower. The victor had difficulty walking due to being tied up. The couple helped him out of one elevator from the basement, past the sleeping guard in the lobby and then into the second elevator that went up to the penthouse.

“I need a drink,” Haymitch groaned as he sat down on the sofa. He stared at Katniss and Peeta who stood facing him. “Seriously what are you two up to?” He turned toward Peeta. “Going for the Seam look?”

Peeta shook his head, while Katniss scowled. They’d just rescued the victor from kidnappers and he all he could do was insult them?

“Maybe we need the statue,” she whispered to Peeta. He immediately left to retrieve it.

“Where’s he off to?”

“You’ll see.”

Peeta soon returned with the statue of the mockingjay. “I switched it on.”

Haymitch snorted when he saw the bird. “So you found it. It’s an early protype of this. He reached into his pocket and pulled out Katniss’ gold mockingjay pin that she’d lost days before. “Beetee’s been playing around with the technology for years.”

“My pin,” Katniss screamed. “Where did you find it?” She grabbed it from Haymitch’s hands. Her eyes narrowed to tiny slits. “You stole it.”

“It fell off of your shirt and onto the sand in Four,” Haymitch said. “I tried to tell you, but you were in such a hurry to leave. So I picked it up.”

“Why didn’t you return it? You knew I was looking for it.”

“I needed it when I did my investigating,” Haymitch said. “There are cameras everywhere and I wanted to keep my conversations private. I couldn’t walk around carrying that damn statue, could I? Anyway you should be glad I had it on in my pocket to jam the cameras when you untied me tonight. Otherwise they’ll be after you two next.”

“Who would?” Peeta asked. “What’s going on?” He sat down in an armchair facing Haymitch. Katniss leaned against the arm of the same chair.

“A couple of things,” the victor said. “But do you think you could find me some food? I haven’t eaten since this morning.”

“All right, but then you need to tell us,” Peeta said. He got up from the chair and went into the kitchen.

Katniss slid down into the seat of the chair and scowled at Haymitch.

“How did you know where to find me?”

“Cinna told us.”

“Who’s that?”

“He’s the stylist that worked with me on The Match Game.”

“Well, it’s good to know they’re not all crazy.”

Peeta was back soon with a plate of food for Haymitch filled with leftover salad and a couple of slices of bread smeared with butter.

“Here,” he said, handing it to the victor.

Katniss stood up to give Peeta his seat. He sat down and pulled his wife onto his lap.

“Tell us Haymitch now,” Peeta said, as he wrapped his arms around Katniss’ middle.

The victor took his time chewing a piece of bread before answering. “The Capitol economy is in bad shape.”

“We already know that,” Katniss spat out. “Who is killing the victors? Who kidnapped you?” She spoke quickly. She was tired of Haymitch’s delays. It was late already and she wanted to go to sleep. They had to be up early for Effie’s show.

“I went to see Plutarch Heavensbee,” Haymitch said, avoiding her questions.

“You’re friends with him?” Katniss was astounded.

Haymitch shook his head. “No. But he’s always been straightforward with me.”

“Why would you believe anything he says? He uses people in the worst sort of way to make money for the Capitol. Look what he did to me.” She shifted on Peeta’s lap to get comfortable, leaning back into his chest.

“That’s his job,” Haymitch snorted. “You might not believe it, but he was one of the few people in the Capitol that was against The Games. When Snow was overthrown though, Plutarch was catapulted into the position of head of network programming. He was put between a rock and a hard spot having to come up with a profit similar to that of The Games, but he wasn’t allowed to force mandatory viewing.

“It’s an impossible task and he knows it. He’s tried all kinds of programming to attract viewers. Sex definitely sells, but it’s still not enough.

A sour taste formed in Katniss’ mouth. If it weren’t for the mockingjay pin she was sure Plutarch would have aired her and Peeta’s personal relations to all of Panem, like he’d done to Rye and Delly.

Haymitch continued. “Unfortunately The Games wetted viewers’ appetites for something more salacious.”

“Do you think Plutarch is behind the murder of the victors?” Peeta asked.

“He says he isn’t and I believe him. Plutarch was actually a friend to most of us during The Games.”

“How did you end up in the shower of the remake center?” Katniss questioned.

“After I met with Plutarch, I stopped for a drink.”

Katniss rolled her eyes.

“Things are kind of fuzzy after that. When I came to I was being tied up by a couple of preps.”

“I don’t understand why they didn’t kill you like they killed the others,” Katniss said.

“Haven’t you been listening to anything I’ve said,” Haymitch replied. He sounded exasperated. “The fools who grabbed me are not the killers. They took me as a bargaining chip to convince Seneca Crane to bring The Games back.”

“If the economy is so bad, why doesn’t he bring The Games back?” Peeta asked.

Katniss turned to glare at her husband.

“I’m just trying to understand what’s going on,” Peeta countered. “I don’t want The Games back either.”

“Canceling that show was probably the only reason the districts have accepted Seneca as president,” Haymitch explained. He picked up his fork and began to shovel salad in his mouth.

Katniss and Peeta were silent. After a few minutes of silence, Katniss spoke. “So after everything that’s happened you still don’t know who is responsible for the killings or even why the victors are being killed?”

Haymitch nodded.

“What’s your plan now?” she asked.

“Go into that kitchen and get some more food. Look for some liquor.”

Katniss got up from Peeta’s lap.

“Good night Haymitch. We’ll see you in the morning.”

She reached for Peeta’s hand. He stood up and the two made their way to their bedroom.

“Well at least I have my pin back,” she said, as she pulled him into the bathroom and toward the shower.

Much later, as they were drifting off to sleep, Peeta murmured, “how long do you think it will take for the color to wash out of my hair?”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“What did you do to your hair?” Effie screamed when Katniss and Peeta appeared at the television studio the next morning.

Katniss sighed. The morning had already been unpleasant enough. Haymitch had woken them up early by banging on their bedroom door. When Peeta had answered it, he’d barged into the room and congratulated Katniss on her blow to Elleway Ohanlay’s face.

“I must have seen the replay fifty times on television last night,” he’d said. After filling his belly, the victor had reverted to his usual habit of staying awake all night.

He told the couple he planned to spend the day sleeping.

“Will you be safe here?” Peeta asked. “Once they find you missing won’t they be searching for you?”

“Probably,” Haymitch said. “But I’ve armed myself.” He held up a knife he’d taken from the kitchen. “Besides I have a hiding place I can hole up in.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“There isn’t enough time to fix his hair,” Effie continued to shriek at Katniss as she sat in the make up chair in the studio. “Why did you let him do it?”

“We thought you could fix it before the show,” she said weakly, not wanting to tell Effie they had disguised themselves so they could leave the penthouse. After Haymitch’s revelations the previous evening, Katniss could see that things in the Capitol were much more complicated than she could ever would have imagined. She didn’t know Effie’s viewpoint on the politics of everything that was occurring. It was better, Katniss thought, to avoid any hint of her and Peeta’s unintended involvement.

Effie huffed, dropping the topic and reminding Katniss that Dr. Aurelius would be appearing on the show today. “We’re lucky to have him,” she trilled. “But keep your temper under control,” she cautioned Katniss. “Dr. Aurelius is a pit bull when he’s on camera. If you punch him too, I can assure you he’ll punch right back.”

Katniss cringed at the advice.

Dr. Aurelius made a reference to Katniss’ outburst as soon as the show began. She was sitting on the sofa with Peeta, whose hair was a dirty blonde color now. Cressida insisted they leave ample space between each other.

“Jealously reared its ugly head on yesterday’s show,” the doctor said directing his attention to Katniss. “Have you always reacted so violently Katniss?

She shook her head. So much had happened in the last twenty-four hours that she hadn’t given much thought to her attack on Elleway.

Dr. Aurelius turned to Peeta. “How does it feel to have married a carbon copy of your mother?”

Katniss gasped. The folksy doctor who’d been so congenial when he’d interviewed them privately had taken a mean turn.

Chapter Text

Katniss watched her husband’s face go from its natural pale shade to bright red in five seconds. His fists were clenched. She began to slide across the sofa to reach for him when Cressida yelled.

“Cut to commercial.” The director flew onto the set and got into Katniss’ face. “I told you to sit apart. I’ll tell you when you can move closer.”

Katniss glared at the woman, before turning to Peeta. “Are you okay?”

Peeta took a deep breath and nodded, meeting her eyes. “You’re nothing like my mother,” he whispered.

Katniss didn’t know who should be angrier about the insult, Peeta or her.

She wanted to shout at Dr. Aurelius for his insensitivity but there wasn’t time. Cressida had yelled “action” again and the red light on the camera had turned on.

Effie was the first to speak. “Well, well, well, Dr. Aurelius. That’s certainly a fascinating theory you proposed.”

The doctor shifted his bulky frame in the chair before answering. “It’s not unusual. Many men choose their wives based on their relationship with their mothers.” He looked directly at Peeta. “Your mother ruled the roost in your home.”

Peeta didn’t answer to confirm or deny it. But his jaw was clenched.

The doctor continued. “So now you’re married to a woman who has the upper hand in the relationship. You reside in her house and live off of her t.v. show winnings.”

Peeta remained silent, but Katniss couldn’t contain herself. “That’s not true. The house was given to both of us at the end of The Match Game. And Peeta has a job. He works in his family’s bakery.”

“You’re just proving my point,” Dr. Aurelius said. “Why don’t you let your husband speak for himself?”

Katniss’ cheeks grew warm. She threw a frustrated look at Peeta who was stoically taking everything in.

“What do you have to say for yourself boy?” the doctor taunted.

The atmosphere on the set was tense. Katniss hoped Peeta was seriously reconsidering his theory of silence being the best defense because it clearly wasn’t working against the abuse doled out by Dr. Aurelius. Besides if Peeta didn’t say something soon, Katniss was scared she’d end up repeating her actions of the previous day.
Fortunately, Peeta appeared to have reached his limit. He took a deep breath and spoke, his voice remarkably calm. “Dr. Aurelius, you’ve been extremely rude to my wife. You owe her an apology.”

A tiny grin appeared on the doctor’s face. “For comparing her to your mother or for correcting her for speaking in your stead?”

“The first one, the second is between the two of us and doesn’t pertain to you.”

“I like seeing you stand up for yourself like that Peeta.”

Dr. Aurelius turned his attention to Katniss. “I’m sorry for the comparison, but I wanted to get a reaction here to see how truly committed Peeta is to this relationship.”

Katniss scowled.

“I am committed. I love Katniss.” Peeta gave Katniss a smile. But she continued to frown, still perturbed at the doctor’s hostile methods.

Meanwhile, Cressida swung her arms frantically, gesturing Katniss to move closer to Peeta. As Katniss scooted down the couch, Cressida wrote something on a piece of stiff paper, and then held it up. Grab his hand.

“I had a crush on her forever.” Peeta stared into the camera, as the two of them linked hands. “Traveling with her to the Capitol, teaching her to bake, becoming a contestant on The Match Game, was a real piece of luck. These last couple of months has been the happiest of my life.”

Effie swooned, crossing her hands over her heart. “Surely that is true love,” she gushed.

“True love is a myth, something we humans like to romanticize but commitment, compassion and caring are needed to make love work,” Dr Aurelius explained. “These two already face a big challenge with allegations of infidelity.”

The doctor turned to look directly into the camera. “To learn more about the problem of infidelity, which can be a deal-breaker in any marriage, viewers should be sure to tune into my show later this morning where I’ll be interviewing a man that cheated on all six of his wives.”

“It wasn’t,” Katniss began but her voice was drowned out the by sound of Effie’s theme music.

“Chins up, smiles on,” Effie called out over the music.

“That’s a wrap,” Cressida called. “Great show everyone.”

Katniss stood up, ripped the microphone off the collar of her shirt, and handed it to Cressida. “When do we get to say anything to defend ourselves?” she asked. “You know this is all fake.”

“We’ll discuss it our debriefing,” the director said.

Effie stood up. “I think my closing has just the right touch, don’t you?” she asked Dr. Aurelius. “It leaves viewers with the thought that if they just move forward and stay cheerful, things will work out fine.”

The doctor nodded. “It’s always good to leave people with hope.” He walked around Effie and toward Katniss and Peeta.

“It was nice to meet you two,” he said stretching out his hand to Peeta but dropping it when it became apparent Peeta was not raising his hand to reciprocate. Instead the doctor patted Peeta’s shoulder.

“You’ll both be fine. You’re just caught up in the drama of making good television in the Capitol.”

“We’re being used,” Katniss said.

“Aren’t we all?” Dr Aurelius responded. “So it’s important not to let yourselves become victims. Use your brains, not your brawn to make things right.”

The doctor walked away, but stopped for a moment to turn back. “Katniss, one last thing. Steer clear of Peeta’s mother. A mother-in-law like that can wreak havoc on a marriage.”

And the Capitol hasn’t already? Katniss thought.

Effie monopolized the debriefing meeting, praising herself for the smoothness of her second episode. “When will we get the early ratings?”

“By this afternoon,” the director said. “Staff is already conducting a telephone poll.” Cressida went on to describe the following day’s episode that would feature a completely different format, a fun game to determine how well Peeta and Katniss knew each other.

“When are you going to explain that it’s not Peeta on the tape?” Katniss asked.

“Not until the end of the week,” Effie explained. “I need a reason to keep viewers watching. Besides I have a big surprise planned.”

Katniss glanced at Peeta. A nervous look appeared in his eyes. With everything that had already happened, what more had Effie planned for them?

The couple was soon dismissed from the meeting to return to the penthouse. As soon as she got into the car, Katniss pulled the pin from her pocket, turned it on, and attached it to her shirt before speaking.

“What do you think Effe’s surprise is?”

“I don’t know. I’m scared to even guess.”

Katniss laughed. “I’m not sure it could be any worse than it already has been.”

“I’m sorry about today. I never thought Dr. Aurelius would take things I told him in confidence and twist it like that.”

“It’s not your fault.” While Katniss was still angry at the way the doctor had attacked them, his accusation that she’d spoken for Peeta hit too close to home. She knew it was a bad habit she’d fallen into on more than a few occasions.

She laced her hand through Peeta’s and changed the direction of the conversation. “I wonder if they’ve discovered Haymitch is missing?”

“Probably.”

When they arrived at the penthouse, they went into the kitchen and gathered up some food for a picnic. They made their way to the roof, spreading the food across the bench in the garden. Sliced meats, cheese, hearty bread, tiny carrots, peaches and pears.

After lunch, the couple walked through the rooftop garden admiring the ornamental shrubs and trees. They soon found themselves at the greenhouse.

“Shall we Mrs. Mellark?” Peeta opened the door and led her inside.

Katniss followed and the two made their way underneath the counter and behind the board. Even though Katniss had her pin back, even when they could easily have come together in their bedroom, this location added something exciting to their time together.

Besides with Haymitch back in the penthouse, they didn’t have complete privacy. Katniss didn’t want Haymitch interrupting them.

Afterwards her eyelids grew heavy as she lay half-dressed and sweaty in her husband’s arms.

”I really meant what I said today on the show,” Peeta whispered.

“Humph,” Katniss mumbled, thinking how comfortable she was pushed up against Peeta’s stocky frame, despite the hard wooden floor beneath her.

“These last few months have been very happy.” Peeta kissed her temple as she dozed off.

He must have fallen asleep too, Katniss thought as she slowly regained consciousness. She could hear Peeta’s even breathing. She leaned further into him, twisting her head and kissing underneath his jaw, the only patch of bare skin within reach.

She felt Peeta jump at the touch of her lips, letting out a tiny squeal.

“That tickles,” he whispered. He pulled her closer. “We should probably go back and get cleaned up.”

But when they got downstairs, they found two Peacekeepers walking through the penthouse.

“Where is Haymitch Abernathy?” one asked. His hair was gray and his tone was surly.

Katniss squeezed Peeta’s hand nervously. Her mouth was dry. She knew they should have told the authorities they’d found the victor.

“Was he rescued or something?” Peeta asked. “We were on the roof.”

The man gave them a scathing look. “You’ve got televisions in nearly every room and you don’t know what’s going on? Haymitch Abernathy has killed two preps and escaped. President Crane wants him now. Alive or Dead.”

Katniss calmed her face determined not to express any emotion. But she was shocked. Could Haymitch have returned to the remake center and killed his captors when they returned to check up on him? She didn’t know.

Peeta’s face was also expressionless but Katniss could see the concern in his eyes.

The Peacekeepers searched every room in the penthouse, including Katniss’ and Peeta’s but they could find no evidence of the victor.

“If he returns you must call the authorities,” the gray-haired Peacekeeper warned them when the search was complete. “Otherwise you’ll be in violation of the law and will be arrested for hiding a fugitive.

Once the Peacekeepers had left, Peeta motioned toward the pin on Katniss’ shirt.

“It’s still on,” she murmured. “If Haymitch isn’t here, where is he?”

“Let’s turn on the television and see what’s happened,” Peeta suggested.

They turned on the t.v. that hung over the fireplace and sat down to watch. Haymitch’s escape had preempted all the afternoon shows.

“The bodies of Cassus and Lividus were found this morning in an empty warehouse. A knife was found nearby that bears the fingerprints of District Twelve victor Haymitch Abernathy,” the newscaster said. Pictures of the preps, a man and a woman, appeared on the upper right corner of the screen, with their names printed underneath.

“That woman Lividus was the prep who was acting so strangely around Haymitch,” Peeta said. “Remember I pointed her out to you the other night.”

“I remember her green hair. But I’ve never seen that man Cassus.”

“Me either.”

“And now to the scene of the crime,” the newscaster said. The program cut to a reporter standing in front of a warehouse near the train station. The camera followed him inside, into a small room and then zoomed in on the dead bodies of the preps. It was clear they’d been stabbed multiple times. There was blood everywhere.

Katniss turned away. “This is as sick as The Hunger Games. So much blood.” Even though she’d seen plenty of bloody and bruised people stretched out on family’s dining table for her mother to put right, the gruesome sight on screen made her stomach turn.

“Hey kids, what’s for supper?” Haymitch called out.

Katniss jumped at the sound of his voice, nearly flying onto Peeta’s lap. Her eyes flew around the room searching frantically for some kind of weapon they could use to defend themselves from their neighbor who had clearly reverted to the killing ways he’d picked up in The Games.

“There were Peacekeepers searching here,” Peeta said. “Where were you?”

Haymitch snorted. “Someplace those fools don’t know about. He glanced up at the television and watched for a minute or two.”

“Oh hell,” he muttered as the pictures of Lividus and Cassus were shown on the screen.

“Did you kill them?” Katniss asked. She was standing now and slowly backing toward the fireplace. There were a poker in a stand next to it and she wanted to grab it in case the victor came toward her and Peeta with his knife.

Haymitch shook his head. “I’ve been holed up on the stairway landing all day sleeping.”

“What stairway?” she spat out, her hand reaching for the poker. The only stairs she knew about where the ones to the roof.

“The secret one that leads from the back of my closet down to the living quarters on the eleventh floor.”

“I stayed in your room when I was here last,” Peeta said. “I never noticed a secret stairway in the closet.”

“The switch to it is hidden,” Haymitch explained. “Chaff and I used it to visit each other when we were mentoring The Games. We’d meet up on the stair landing and play cards and drink before the show would get underway. It was great to have a friend here.”

No wonder Haymitch had been so broken up over Chaff’s death. As the only mentor for District 12, Haymitch would have been confined to the penthouse with only the tributes and the district escort to keep him company. Katniss doubted Haymitch would be socializing with the kids he was sending off to be slaughtered and Effie, well, it was clear she was part of the Capitol establishment.

Katniss let go of the poker and walked back to the sofa.

“The newscaster said you were being held hostage in a warehouse,” Peeta said.

“You’re catching on boy. You can’t believe everything you hear on television. It’s all a pack of lies in the Capitol.”

“So what exactly is going on?” Katniss asked.

“I’m trying to figure it out myself,” Haymitch said. “How about some dinner first.”

“Come into the kitchen,” Peeta said. “We can talk in there while I cook.”

As they walked toward the kitchen, Katniss pulled Peeta aside. “Can I speak with you?”

Haymitch turned to look at them.

“Privately,” she said, glaring at the victor.

“I’ll see you inside.” Haymitch pushed at the hidden door that led to the kitchen.

“Peeta, we could get arrested if anyone finds out he’s here. Maybe we should report him.”

“No one will find out if you keep the pin on.”

“Do you think he did it?”

“There’s no way Haymitch could have got there and back on foot and murdered two preps. He could barely walk last night when we brought him up here, and he was exhausted. I believe him when he says he was here the whole time.

“I’d like to see that staircase though,” Katniss said, begrudgingly.

“So would I.”

They went into kitchen to find Haymitch rummaging through the cupboards looking for alcohol. He found a bottle of red liquor, got a glass and poured himself some. He sat at the table and took a sip.

Katniss helped Peeta to put together a simple and quick meal of cheddar cheese soup and toasted garlic bread.

While Peeta stirred the soup, she cut up fruit for dessert.

They talked of trivial things when they sat down to eat, but when they were finished Haymitch asked if there was a pen and paper available.

“I need to write everything down. It helps to keep my brain straight.”

“Maybe if you didn’t drink so much you’d remember it,” Katniss said.

Peeta threw her a look of caution and went into the dining area in search of writing materials. Cressida’s staff had left some paper and pencils behind and they’d been stuffed in a nearby cabinet.

He carried a pad and pencil back into the kitchen and handed everything to Haymitch. The victor shoved it back.

“You write it down for me. My penmanship is rusty.”

Peeta opened the writing tablet and set it down on the table in front of him.

“First, let’s make a list of all the victors who have been murdered,” Haymitch said. “Lyme, the morphings from Six, Chaff, Seeder and Brutus.”

Peeta wrote the names down.

“Why are you including Lyme?” Katniss asked. “She wasn’t murdered.”

“We don’t know that though,” Haymitch replied. “Keep her name on the list,” he nodded toward Peeta.

“What about the two preps?” Katniss questioned. “Someone killed them.

Haymitch frowned. “Okay, write down their names.”

In tiny script Peeta jotted down Cassus and Lividus.

“Any similarities in all the deaths?” Haymitch asked.

“They were all stabbed,” Peeta said.

“Except for Lyme,” Katniss said. “I still don’t think she’s part of this.”

“Leave her name on the list,” Haymitch directed Peeta.

“What about you?” Katniss asked. “You were visited by Brutus and you had a stab wound in your shoulder.” She paused for a moment and then remembered. “You had nightlock berries on the top of your muffins.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What are you keeping from us?”

Haymitch cleared his throat. “I think it’s likely that Brutus was intending to kill me when he came to visit. His plans may have been interrupted though because there were witnesses around.”

“Who?” Peeta asked.

“You forget that your brother was in the habit of using your house to meet up with women.

Katniss exchanged an amused glance with Peeta.

“I opened my front door to find Brutus holding up the plate of muffins you left there,” Haymitch continued, “just as that Cartwright girl came running down the front stairs yelling at your brother. They had a big fight in the middle of the lane.”

“What about?” Peeta asked.

“None of your business,” Haymitch said. “But let’s just say you’re going to be an uncle next year.”

Peeta’s eyes widened.

Katniss snorted. Likely she’d soon be losing her title as the most hated Mellark daughter-in-law.

“So Brutus let you live because Rye and Delly saw him?” Katniss asked.

“I’m guessing so.”

“But he stabbed you, didn’t he?” Katniss asked.

“I don’t remember,” Haymitch muttered. “There may have been a bit of a scuffle involved.”

Katniss rolled her eyes.

“But who killed Brutus?” Peeta asked. “It had to be a victor because everyone at Finnick’s house was a victor except for Katniss and myself. And why would a victor turn on the others?”

Katniss glanced over Peeta’s shoulder and studied the list. Haymitch was at the beach house and could have killed Brutus. He was also in the Capitol and could have killed Cassus and Lividus. But she knew he hadn’t killed the morphlings in Six, Seeder, and certainly not his friend Chaff in Eleven, because they all died while he was in Twelve.

“It’s like The Games but the arena is spread across Panem,” Katniss muttered.

“That’s it,” Haymitch shouted.

Katniss and Peeta looked up in surprise at the excitement in the victor’s voice.

“It is The Games.”

“What do you mean?” Peeta asked.

“An alliance was formed.”

Katniss remembered that the tributes that always formed alliances were the Careers who were from Districts One and Two, and occasionally Four.

“Brutus was from Two,” Katniss said. “But so was Lyme and she’s dead.”

“Maybe from natural causes, or maybe she was killed because she refused to join the alliance,” Haymitch suggested.

“Cashmere and Gloss are from One,” Katniss said. “I remember they sat talking with Brutus when we were at Finnick’s beach house.

Suddenly she remembered. “In fact, they’re both in the Capitol right now. Flavius mentioned that he was prepping Gloss for a magazine shoot, and Cashmere was at the television studio just the other day. The prep who made us up for Effie’s show was talking about her.”

“So you think Cashmere and Gloss, and possibly Brutus were behind the deaths?” Peeta asked. “Even the deaths of the preps? It’s certainly a theory. But why would they do it? What purpose would it serve?”

Chapter Text

Haymitch began to rant about the Careers, insisting they’d always been aligned with Capitol interests.

Katniss yawned. She was tired. It had been a long day and they had to get up early.

“Show us the stairs,” she interrupted.

He gave her a nasty look, but stood up. “Give me that list boy.”

Peeta tore the paper from the tablet and handed it to Haymitch who quickly folded into quarters and put it in his pocket. “Follow me.”

He led the couple into his bedroom, and then into the closet. There was a hanging hook on a side wall. Haymitch pulled it down, and pushed against the back wall. It was a hidden door, similar to the one that led from the dining room into the kitchen.

They followed the victor down the metal stairs to a landing where a small table and two chairs were set up. A pillow and blanket lay on top of the table, along with the mockingjay statue.

“Can you enter the apartment on the 11th floor from here?” Peeta asked.

Haymitch nodded.

“Why don’t you hide in that apartment then?” Katniss questioned.

“Too many ghosts.”

They all went back upstairs, exiting through the closet. Katniss and Peeta said their goodnight to the victor and went to their bedroom.

“I wish he would hide in the apartment downstairs,” Katniss said. “I don’t want to end up in jail if the authorities find him here.”

“I think he’ll probably hole up in the stairwell,” Peeta said. “And with the pin and the statue jamming the cameras we’ll be okay. It’s only a few more days anyway until we can go home.”

A few more days of humiliation, Katniss thought.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Haymitch wasn’t around when they got up, but evidence of his presence was. A plate littered with crumbs and a dirty glass sat on a side table in the living room. Katniss picked everything up and carried it into the kitchen.

When they arrived at the studio, they separated to get prepped for the show. Effie was already getting made up when Katniss walked in.

“I’m so angry with Haymitch right now,” Effie told the woman who was painting a ladybug onto the side of her face. “I brought him to the Capitol to be on my show with Katniss and Peeta, and he’s completely ruined his credibility as a marriage mentor by killing those two preps.”

Katniss sat down in the chair.

“Good morning.” Effie turned and greeted her. “Can you believe what Haymitch has done?”

Katniss shook her head.

“You poor dear having that disgusting man for your neighbor. You and Peeta should consider relocating to the Capitol and leaving that backwoods Twelve.”

Katniss shivered at the thought. She turned to watch the makeup artist. The woman’s hands were steady as she colored Effie’s cheek, but her eyes were filled with tears. “Did you know Cassus and Lividus?” Katniss asked.

The prep nodded. “Lividus went to school with me.” A tear ran down her face and she wiped it away quickly with the back of her hand.

“I hope they catch Haymitch soon,” Effie concluded. “And his accomplices as well. That drunk couldn’t have pulled it off by himself. He’s in terrible shape you know.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Effie’s set had been completely rearranged for the third episode of the show. The chair that Elleway and Dr. Aurelius had sat in was gone. A low, long table had been placed in front of the sofa where Katniss and Peeta sat. White cardboard and a couple of black markers sat atop the table. A glassed-in booth was sitting on the right side of the set.

“Good morning,” Effie said into the camera when the red light came on. She turned to Katniss and Peeta.

“You poor dears have had it rough these past few days as we’ve explored every facet of your relationship.”

It was all Katniss could do to keep a straight face. Was the woman crazy? They’d spent the last two days having false accusations thrown at them. Nothing about this was real.

“Today we’ll have some fun,” Effie continued. “I’ll ask some questions of each of you. You’ll write down your answers and then we’ll see how well you truly know each other.

Katniss exchanged a nervous glance with her husband.

“Peeta, you can go inside the glass booth first while I question Katniss.”

Peeta got up and walked behind the sofa and entered the booth.

“Now that he can’t hear us, we can start,” Effie said, winking at Katniss conspiratorially. “We’ll begin with something simple. What is Peeta’s favorite color? Write it down on one of the cards in front of you.”

Katniss picked up a marker. She knew the answer to this. It was sunset orange. Peeta had mentioned it the first time she’d taken him out to the woods when they’d returned to Twelve after their wedding. He had said he wanted to see her hunt and that he’d never been outside of the fence.

Within a short time Katniss realized that with Peeta’s heavy tread she wouldn’t be getting much, if any game that day. He was scaring all the animals away. They’d found other ways to entertain themselves though and had eventually fallen asleep. They woke up when the sun was beginning to descend. That’s when Peeta had mentioned that shade of orange as being his very favorite.

Katniss sighed at the sweet memory and wrote sunset orange down on the card.

“Name a surprising habit of Peeta’s that you discovered after your marriage?”

Katniss bit her lip. Every day she was discovering new things about her husband that she didn’t know. She searched her brain to think of one that wasn’t too revealing, yet would clearly indicate that their marriage was strong.

She’d been surprised when they’d moved into their home in Victor’s Village that he insisted on sleeping with the bedroom window open. She had secretly wondered if Peeta did it on purpose to make the room colder so he’d have an excuse to wrap his arms around Katniss to keep her warm at night. If so, she didn’t mind. In fact, she rather liked it.

Sleeps with the window open, she wrote.

“Next question. What is your favorite food that Peeta makes?” Effie giggled. “Because we all know what a good cook your husband is.”

Katniss groaned. This was a hard one. She liked everything Peeta made, although it was definitely a toss-up between cheese buns and lamb stew. She picked up the card and wrote lamb stew.

“Now our final question,” Effie said. “What is Peeta’s biggest fault?”

“Oh this is easy.” Katniss grinned.

Effie raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“He’s too nice.”

“That is so sweet,” Effie gushed, before reaching for Katniss’ stack of cards and turning them face down on the table.

Cressida cut to a commercial and a stagehand opened the door to the glass box and let Peeta out.

“How was it?” he asked Katniss as he walked back to the sofa.

“No cheating,” Effie chided him. “Katniss, go sit in the box before the commercial ends.”

Katniss stood up and walked over to the box. She went inside and sat down on a padded chair. As soon as the stagehand closed the door, music began to play. The show must have started again because she could see Peeta taking a card and writing something down. But she couldn’t see his face or his card so she had no idea what he was thinking or writing.

She sat bored in the box for several minutes until Peeta had answered all the questions and a stagehand opened the door and told her to return to the sofa.

Katniss sat down on the couch, leaving a bit of space between her and her husband as Cressida ordered. The stack of cards each had filled out was placed on the low table in front of them.

She glanced at Peeta, curious as to how well they would do.

“Well, well, well that was certainly enlightening,” Effie addressed the camera when the red light flashed on. “Let’s go over your answers now.

“Peeta what is your favorite color?”

“Sunset orange.”

“Hold up your card Katniss,” Effie instructed.

Katniss showed the card to Peeta and then turned to show the camera.

“You both were right,” Effie chirped.

Effie continued. “Peeta, what habit did you have that surprised Katniss when you first got married?”

A nervous look passed over Peeta’s face. “Sometimes I snore,” he explained. “At least my brother used to complain about it.”

Katniss shook her head and raised her card, Sleeps with the window open.

Peeta raised his eyebrows. “Does it bother you?”

She shook her head. “No, it’s just something that people don’t do in the Seam.”

Peeta looked puzzled.

“Because of the coal dust.”

He nodded.

“What is Katniss’ favorite food that you make for her?” Effie asked?’

Peeta grinned. “I know this. It’s cheese buns. Katniss loves them.”

Katniss groaned, holding up the sign. Lamb stew.

“Oh,” Peeta said, looking surprised.

“I love your cheese buns, but, well, I could live solely on the lamb stew.”

“Now our last question for you Peeta,” Effie announced. “What would Katniss say is your greatest fault?”

A range of emotions crossed Peeta’s face in the few moments before he answered honestly.

“I could be braver.”

Katniss held up the sign reading, He’s too nice.

“What do you mean?” Peeta asked, startled by her answer. But there was no time for conversation. Katniss could see Cressida pointing at the clock, indicating that time was running out.

Effie spoke quickly. “Now for your first question Katniss. Who did Peeta say is your very closest friend in the world, other than himself of course?”

“My sister Prim.”

Peeta held up a card that said, Prim.

“Lovely,” Effie said. “Question number two. “Where did you two share your first kiss?”

Katniss remembered Peeta leaning over her, the warmth of his lips crushing hers, the feeling of her back pressing into the wooden door. It seemed like that kiss went on forever.

“In the office at the Mellark Bakery.”

Peeta’s jaw dropped. He held up a sign. In front of the fireplace.

Katniss gasped. What was she thinking? She had kissed Peeta, a peck really, after they’d had their fake toasting before the start of The Match Game. She hadn’t thought of that kiss because it had been a kind of thank-you to Peeta for coming up with a brilliant solution to her predicament. The kiss in the bakery, well that kiss had changed everything.

“Didn’t you remember?”

“It was just a peck.”

“But you kissed me.”

She was beginning to think Peeta’s greatest fault was his attention to detail.

Effie interrupted their conversation. Cressida was waving her arms about frantically.

“The next question,” Effie said, but the theme music began playing. A look of panic flashed in Effie’s eyes. “That’s all the time we have today,” she announced. Effie turned from Katniss and Peeta to look directly into the camera. “Chins up and smiles on.”

“That’s a wrap,” Cressida shouted.

“What happened?” Effie looked to her director. “How did we get the timing all wrong? There were still two more questions in the game. And the last one, which asked about when they planned to start a family, was so charming. It would have been the perfect way to end the show.”

Katniss had been sitting on the sofa drumming her fingers on the seat next to her, but at Effie’s words she reached for the stack of cards that lay on the table in front of Peeta.

Peeta reached out and put his hand on top of Katniss’ to prevent her from grabbing at his answer cards.

She looked up at him. “How did you answer that last question?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Peeta said. His voice had an oddly discouraged tone.

Katniss stared at him. “What’s wrong?”

“We can talk about it later.”

Already a stagehand had approached the couple to remove the microphone on their collars. After a quick meeting to debrief them, Katniss and Peeta were excused. Effie told them to go home and rest up because that evening they’d be going on a fancy dinner date that would be filmed for the show.

As soon as they got into the back of the car, Katniss made an obvious display of turning on her mockingjay pin. “What’s wrong Peeta?” she asked again.

He shook his head and didn’t say anything for a minute. “We don’t know each other very well,” he finally admitted.

“Of course we do.”

“Katniss we only agreed on two answers and to be honest I nearly wrote down Gale instead of Prim as your closest friend. But I didn’t think that would be very smart. It would probably create another scandal altogether.”

“He’s not my closest friend,” she replied. “Not anymore.” But up until a few months ago, he had been. And technically Prim could be categorized as her sister, even though she was also her friend.

“How did you answer that question about having children? We’ve never talked about it.”

“There are lots of things we’ve never talked about.”

Katniss grimaced. Peeta was right. She always shied away from uncomfortable topics. It was easier to deal with things as they happened than to discuss them in advance. “Well, it’s hard to have a conversation when I never know if I’m being recorded,” she countered.

“That’s not an excuse. You have the pin.”

He was right. She turned away and looked out the window. How had things gone wrong so quickly? The previous shows had been quite hurtful, yet she’d come away feeling closer to her husband. Now this frivolous game had caused them to argue.

They didn’t speak for the remainder of the car ride. The vehicle stopped in the front of their building and they went inside to the elevator. They were waiting for it to take them up to the penthouse when they heard a beep and the doors of another elevator opened. Out walked Cashmere and Gloss. Had they been inside the penthouse searching for Haymitch?

Katniss nearly jumped in surprise. She felt Peeta’s arm wrap around her and even though she was upset with him right now, she was grateful for his protection. After their conversation the previous evening, she was beginning to think Haymitch might be right about the victors from One.

“Hey you two, great show this morning,” Cashmere said. Her voice had a seductive lilt to it and Katniss couldn’t help but notice the older woman checking out Peeta. Instinctively she moved closer to her husband.

“Funny seeing you two here,” Peeta said. “Are you filming a show too?” His voice was smooth and Katniss admired the way he nonchalantly was digging for information.

“We’re always doing something in the Capitol,” Cashmere said. “Isn’t that right Gloss?”

Gloss nodded.

“Have you heard from Haymitch?” Cashmere asked. “I hear he’s still on the loose.”

“Naw,” Peeta said. “I can’t imagine he’d stay come back here. He’s probably half-way to Twelve by now, don’t you think?”

Cashmere eyed Peeta curiously but said nothing.

“We need to get going Sis. We don’t want to be late for our meeting.”

“Right,” Cashmere said. “See you around.”

A beep sounded and the elevator doors opened for Katniss and Peeta.

They got inside as Cashmere and Gloss left the building.

“Well that was interesting,” Katniss said.

Peeta nodded.

When they got upstairs, they could smell Haymitch before they saw him as the reek of alcohol permeated the room. The victor was sitting on the sofa watching television and drinking.

He turned toward them and tipped his glass. “That was a great show today. Too bad I couldn’t have been on it. I already know more about the two of you than anyone would want to know.” His voice changed to a high falsetto, “Oh Peeta, don’t stop, more, more.”

Katniss’ face grew warm. She glared at her husband.

“We don’t have to open the window until right before we go to sleep,” he mumbled.

“I thought you were going to remain in the stairwell,” Katniss turned to the victor. “Cashmere and Gloss are staying in this very building. We just ran into them in the lobby. They even asked about you.”

Haymitch snorted. “Of course they’d stay in this building. The television network owns it. What did you say about me?”

“I said you were probably half-way to Twelve,” Peeta said.

“Smart thinking,” Haymitch muttered. “The Peacekeepers should be here soon.”

As if on cue, a loud rapping was heard at the door. Katniss jumped at the noise. Haymitch set his glass down and hurried off in the direction of the bedroom. Katniss had never seen the victor move so fast.

“It will be okay,” Peeta mouthed to her as he answered the door.

The same two Peacekeepers from the day before were outside. “We’re looking for Haymitch Abernathy,” the gray-haired one said.

“He’s not here,” Peeta said.

“We’ll determine that.” He stepped forward and Peeta stepped out of the way to let the men inside.

The gray-haired Peacekeeper sniffed at the air. “So he’s not here you say.” He pointed to the glass of red liquid that sat on the side table next to the sofa.

“That’s my drink,” Katniss said quickly. She picked up the glass. It smelled awful, a combination of alcohol and a sweet scent that seemed strangely familiar. She put it to her mouth and swallowed it all down in a few gulps. Immediately her throat began to burn.

She gagged and coughed at the same time. Her eyes and nose begin to stream. She put her hands to her cheeks to wipe them dry.

“Your drink?” The Peacekeeper sneered. “He’s in here somewhere,” he told his partner. “Stay here,” he ordered Katniss and Peeta.

Katniss nodded. She sat down on the sofa, already feeling dizzy.

“Are you alright?” Peeta rushed to her side. “Why did you do that?”

“You know,” Katniss whispered. She focused on Peeta’s blue eyes. It made the room around her stop spinning. Her body was growing warmer now. Her muscles had never been so relaxed, well actually they had been this relaxed but that was when… Her mind drifted.

“You could have pretended to spill the drink on the carpet or on yourself,” Peeta said. “You didn’t have to swallow it.”

“You’re so smart,” Katniss mumbled. Peeta was clever, always thinking of creative solutions to the problems that faced them.

She vaguely remembered being upset with him a few minutes earlier, but she couldn’t remember exactly why now. She looked at his blue eyes seeing the concern reflected in them. She was so lucky to have married such a handsome, wonderful person.

“I love you so much.” Her voice sounded strange in her own ears, like it belonged to someone else. She reached out to cup his face, but her hand slid down and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He leaned into face into her hair and whispered into her ear. “Katniss there are Peacekeepers searching the penthouse. This isn’t a good time.”

“But the pin is on.”

Peeta pulled away and looked around the room quickly to be sure the Peacekeepers hadn’t heard her. “You need some food in you to sop up all that liquor.”

“The only thing I need is you,” Katniss murmured, yanking at Peeta’s hair and pulling him toward her again.

A throat cleared and Katniss dropped her hands to Peeta’s shoulders to look at the Peacekeepers standing near the door.

“We’re leaving now,” the gray-haired one said. “But we’ll be back.”

As soon as they closed the door behind them, Katniss raised a hand to touch Peeta’s cheek. “Where were we…” she began.

“We’re not doing this now.” Peeta pulled her hand down from his face. “You’re drunk.”

“No, I’m not.” But she was feeling tired and very, very sleepy. “I need to lay down.” She let go of her husband and stretched out to lie along the length of the sofa. “Give me a few minutes. Then I’ll be ready for you.”

In less than a minute she was out cold.

Hours must have passed when she felt Peeta shaking her awake. Her tongue was thick and her mouth was dry. Her head ached.

“Wake up Katniss. Portia and Cressida will be here soon with the film crew.”

Peeta put his arm around her back and helped her up into a sitting position. He held a glass of water to her lips, and she took a few sips.

“My head hurts.”

“You’re hung over.”

“I’m never drinking anything again.”

“That’s a good idea. But to be fair that drink contained more than alcohol.”

Katniss put her hand to her forehead trying to stop the pulsating beat that seemed to be consuming her head. “What do you mean?”

“Haymitch came back from the stairwell about an hour after the Peacekeepers left looking for his drink. When I told him you swallowed it all he was concerned. Seemed he didn’t think cooking sherry had enough of a kick so he added some sleep syrup he found to make the drink stronger.”

Katniss groaned.

“Here let me help you up. You need to shower. There’s drool all over your face.”

Embarrassed, Katniss let Peeta lead her back to their bedroom and into the large bathroom.

They could hear someone knocking on the penthouse door.

“Get cleaned up. I’ll take care of that.” Peeta closed the bathroom door.

Katniss stripped and stepped inside the shower. Dizziness overwhelmed her and she had to lean against the shower wall to keep from falling onto the tile.

She let the water pound on her skin, trying to wake herself up. Her brain was still cloudy.

The bathroom door opened a crack and Peeta called in. “Portia is here to dress you now.”

“Great. I’ll be right out.” She tried to make her voice sound light and energetic, but she was dreading the evening ahead. She wanted to crawl back into bed and sleep off this fogginess instead of going out to dinner.

Portia had brought clothes for them, a sparkly red dress for Katniss that fell below her knees, and a dark suit for Peeta that made his eyes look even bluer.

“You’re very pale,” Venia said as she made Katniss up.

“I’m tired,” Katniss explained. “It’s been a long week.”

The camera was on the couple the entire evening. It was supposed to be a fun, romantic date. But Katniss hadn’t recovered from Haymitch’s special concoction. When the waiter brought them both glasses of wine with their meal, Katniss pushed hers away and asked for water. She picked at her food. Even though it looked delicious, she couldn’t trust her stomach. It was queasy and she didn’t want to vomit on camera.

Fortunately Peeta kept a running monologue going -- talking about Effie’s show, revealing tiny innocuous parts of their life in Twelve, and even plugging his upcoming cookbook that would soon be published. Katniss marveled at how well her husband had figured out how to play the game of Capitol celebrity, talking for long stretches and saying nothing of consequence.

All she could manage were a few smiles and a couple of head nods.

Finally the meal ended and the couple was taken back to the penthouse. Cressida insisted that they kiss in front of the penthouse door. Inwardly Katniss groaned. She didn’t like sharing this part of herself with all of Panem. Fortunately Peeta agreed. He pressed his lips to hers for a few seconds longer than a peck, but they both kept it chaste.

Afterwards he turned to Cressida. “Are we done now? We’re both really tired.”

The director nodded. “Get your sleep. You have a big show tomorrow.”

When they got inside, Katniss headed for the bedroom. Once inside she stripped off her dress and climbed into bed, pulling the covers over her head.

“Are you still feeling bad?” Peeta asked. He’d followed her into the room, picked up her dress, and draped it over a nearby chair. He pulled the mockingjay pin from his pocket where Katniss had placed it for safekeeping, and set it on the nightstand.

“Yeah,” she mumbled. “I just need to sleep this off.”

She heard Peeta stomp into the bathroom, and listened to the shower turn on before drifting off. It seemed like only minutes later that he was shaking her awake.

“We have a problem.”

She groaned. “What?”

“Our date made Good Night Panem. They showed you pushing away your glass of wine. They said it’s because you’re pregnant.”

Chapter Text

“No,” Katniss groaned. “Do these people ever stop?” She sat up in bed, leaning back against the headboard and rubbing her eyes.

“Apparently not.” Peeta sat down beside her.

“I suppose Effie will bring it up tomorrow on her show.”

“Probably.” Peeta motioned to the pin that sat on the nightstand.

Katniss picked it up and turned the switch on.

“We should come up with a story when we’re asked about it,” Peeta said.

Katniss was puzzled. “A story? It’s not true.”

“I know, but it looked fairly believable when they showed the footage of you pushing your glass away, and then one of the panelists mentioned that you’ve gained some weight since you were last in the Capitol.”

Katniss scowled. “A panel was discussing whether I’m pregnant or not?” Her voice rose. “That is personal information. They shouldn’t be discussing it.”

“You’re right. Especially since we’ve never even discussed it.” Peeta’s face was gloomy.

“You know how I feel.”

“Actually I don’t because we’ve never talked about it.”

“We did talk about it.” Katniss reached for Peeta’s hand and squeezed it. “I told you about the shot my mother gave me.”

“But the effects won’t last forever. Maybe someday, you might want to start a family with me.”

Katniss opened her mouth to speak, to say that she didn’t know what she wanted, only that she wasn’t ready to be a mother yet, she was still getting used to being married. But she saw the despair in her husband’s eyes. She couldn’t, no wouldn’t tell him that marrying her meant he would never have children of his own.

“We haven’t been married very long,” she began.

“I know, and I’m not saying we should consider it right away but someday, maybe.”

“Yes, someday,” she said brightly. As long as a date wasn’t attached, someday was answer that could satisfy them both for now at least. “Anyway Haymitch says you’re going to be an uncle soon.”

“I still can’t believe that.” Peeta ran his fingers through his hair, a tiny smile appearing on his face. “So what’s our story when we’re asked about it?”

“We deny it. Really it’s none of their business.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“Why didn’t you tell me about the baby?” Effie squealed the next morning in the makeup room.

Haymitch had already teased them when they got up. “I’m moving out of Victor’s Village if you spit out any kids,” he’d said.

“That almost makes me wish the rumor was true,” Katniss told Peeta over the blueberry muffins he’d baked for breakfast. Peeta had told her he couldn’t sleep so he’d gotten up early to bake. Katniss wondered if his insomnia was due to the new falsehood facing them or because of their strained conversation about having children.

“It’s not true Effie,” Katniss responded.

“But the wine,” Effie protested.

“You know I’m not much of a drinker.”

Effie frowned. “But you’ve gained weight.”

“Well, you’ve said it yourself. Peeta is a good cook.”

Effie’s face dropped. “I was hoping it was real.”

Katniss wondered why Effie cared, but she guessed it was because a pregnancy would be another thing for the television network to exploit. Maybe it would allow Effie to start a new show, Effie Trinket: Baby Whisperer.

Despite hearing from Katniss and Peeta that the rumor wasn’t true, Effie worked the falsehood into the opening of her show.

“This information might be a little late for you two. But maybe you can try some of these things after the baby arrives.” She winked at the pair who was finally allowed to sit next to each other on the sofa.

Effie stared into the camera. “Today we’re going to explore the different ways a couple can express their love to each other.”

The school in Twelve that Katniss and Peeta had attended had provided students with basic sex education. The girls were separated from the boys and given simple instruction about reproduction. Students could gain practical experience if they regularly visited the slag heap. Katniss never had; she’d never been interested.

Now however as a newly married woman, she had to admit she was curious as to what Effie would present. Katniss was still learning about the pleasures she and Peeta could experience together. Maybe there was something she didn’t know. Things they could do to make things even better.

A screen had been set up behind them and she and Peeta turned to watch it as a series of pictures flashed by. Katniss immediately realized she wanted no part of sex education Capitol-style. It reminded her of the photo book of naked people the photographer had handed her at a magazine shoot prior to The Match Game, the lurid book that Cinna had taken away from her in outrage.

There was no love or caring expressed in the explicit photos shown on the screen. It was all strangely contorted positions, and ropes, whips and other sundry objects. Sometimes a third person or even an animal was added to the mix.

Katniss turned her head away to look down at the carpet. From the corner of her eye she noticed that Peeta’s face was red. His mouth hung open. He winced a few times.

When Cressida called “cut” for the commercial, Peeta turned toward her reaching for her arm.

“They’re playing with us, can’t you see,” he whispered. “Because we’re so…you know.”

“So what?”

“Pure.”

“Peeta, we’re not pure.” They were newlyweds. She thought of their romps underneath the shelving unit in the greenhouse.

“By Capitol standards we are. We’re practically saints.”

Katniss suspected Peeta was right about them being taunted. She imagined whoever was monitoring the cameras in their house was furious that there wasn’t a real tape of them coming together to exploit. Maybe this segment of the show was meant to humiliate them. All she knew was that she felt tainted and dirty. She wished there was some way to wash these sordid images out of her head.

For some reason, the episode seemed to drag on. Maybe it was the embarrassment factor. Even Effie was flustered when the slide show ended.

“So much to choose from,” she chirped for the camera, but her eyes had a glassy look.

Finally the theme music started. “Chins up and smiles on.”

“That’s a wrap.” Cressida called.

As soon as the red light on the camera faded, Effie stood up. “That wasn’t what I was expecting,” she said to the director.

“Our polling numbers were down after yesterday’s show,” Cressida explained. “We got a call from upstairs to spice it up.”

Katniss wondered about the people who were watching Effie’s show as she and Peeta removed the microphones from their collars and handed them to the stagehand.

“You two are excused from the debriefing,” Cressida said. “We need to talk about tomorrow’s big surprise and we can’t do it with you there.”

“You’ll be revealing that it wasn’t Peeta on that tape,” Katniss reminded the director.

“Of course, it’s all part of the surprise.”

Katniss sighed in relief. Only one more show and she and Peeta could go home. In fact she hoped they’d be leaving right after that show ended. If they were sent by hovercraft, they’d be home as early as tomorrow afternoon. If so, she’d like to go out into the woods. Being cooped up inside for the past week was driving her crazy.

She turned the pin on as they were driven back to the penthouse. “I wonder what the surprise will be?”

“It has to be better than today’s episode.” Peeta grimaced in disgust. “That was the most vile thing I’ve even seen and trust me, I thought I knew everything after listening to my brothers for so many years.”

“And you called yourself pure.”

“Being aware of something is very different from acting on it,” he said smoothly. He chuckled. “I think even Rye would have been stunned at that display. And if you knew him better, you’d know that’s saying a lot.”

“I already know more about your brother than I want to,” she snorted. She paused before speaking aloud the thought that had been on her mind ever since they’d seen the gossip show at Finnick’s beach house. “What must everyone back home be thinking?” She thought of her mother and Prim, but then she remembered that school had recently resumed. So Prim was likely in class now.

“People in Twelve have jobs, Katniss, they’re not sitting around watching t.v. all day.”

She knew that was true. People had more important things to occupy their time, namely earning an income to keep from starving. Most had never gotten into the habit of watching television due to the inconsistent flow of electricity.

“You’re right,” she muttered. “But I suppose everyone thinks I’m pregnant.” At least her mother and Prim would know it couldn’t be true.

Peeta grabbed her hand and rubbed his thumb over the back of it reassuringly. “Let’s not worry about it. It’s our last day here. What do you want to do?”

“Let’s eat lunch first. I’m starved.”

When they got to the penthouse though, the door was open. Katniss immediately flashed back to the memory finding their door wide open at their house in Victor’s Village.

This time, however, they could hear male voices coming from inside.

“He’s got to be here,” one man said. “We’ve searched this place top to bottom and it’s like that old man vanished.

“There has to be a hidden passage or something,” the other voice said. “Tap on the walls. See if any sound hollow.”

Katniss exchanged a nervous glance with Peeta. If they found Haymitch in the penthouse, would she and Peeta be arrested for harboring an accused criminal?

Peeta took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “It will be okay,” he whispered before calling out “hello.” He reached for Katniss’ hand and the two of them edged into the living room.

The same two Peacekeepers were back. One was tapping on the walls in the dining room. He turned quickly when he heard Peeta’s loud tread. “What’s behind this wall?” he said. He pointed to the hidden doorway in the dining room.

Peeta let go of Katniss’ hand and pushed against the edge of the concealed door. It opened to reveal the penthouse’s large kitchen.

Kaniss held her breath, hoping Haymitch wasn’t inside making himself a sandwich. But the kitchen was empty.

“Would you some lunch?” Peeta asked the Peacekeeper. “I was just going to make some.”

The man glared at Peeta and left the room, continuing his wall tapping throughout the penthouse.

Katniss sat down at the table, while Peeta opened the refrigerator. “What do you feel like eating?” he asked casually.

Katniss marveled at his calmness. Inwardly she was shaking, waiting for one of the Peacekeepers to find the switch in the closet and the secret stairwell to the floor below and then rush back to haul them away for questioning.

“It doesn’t matter,” she said.

Peeta pulled out a block of cheese, a loaf of bread, and a couple of pears and apples and carried everything to the table.

“Do you want to eat here or on the roof?’

“The roof.” Katniss wanted to get as far away from the penthouse as she could.

They packed everything up in a wicker basket. When they walked out of the kitchen, the front door was shut.

“Are they gone?” she whispered. Peeta glanced around the living room and headed down the hall, peering into all the bedrooms.

“I think so,” he said, as Katniss caught up with him.

When they got up to the roof, they headed to the bench, again spreading the food across it.

“Do you think Haymitch is going to stay here when we leave?” Katniss asked, as she piled food onto her plate.

Peeta raised his shoulders quizzically. “I don’t know. He’s a fugitive right now. He’s mixed up in something, but I don’t think he killed those preps.”

“But someone killed them and somehow Haymitch has been assigned the blame.” She took a bite from a pear, chewing it thoughtfully. “It’s too bad we don’t know anyone here in the Capitol to help him. Effie’s mad at him…” Katniss voice trailed off.

“What about Plutarch? Haymitch said he was a friend to the victors.”

Katniss scrunched up her face. “I wonder about that. Haymitch was kidnapped right after he went to see him. Could Plutarch be behind the kidnapping?”

“We should find Haymitch after we eat and talk with him.”

When the couple finished their meal, they went downstairs in search of the victor. He wasn’t in the penthouse, so Peeta went to the closet and pulled the switch. The secret panel opened.

“Haymitch, are you there?” Peeta called. His voice echoed off the walls. They closed the hidden door behind them and walked down the stairs to the landing between the two floors.

They found the victor wrapped in a blanket next to the table, his eyes blinking. “What time is it?” he muttered.

“Time to talk,” Katniss said.

“Practicing your mothering skills I see.”

Kantiss scowled. They were trying to help Haymitch. Why did he have to be so rude?

“About an hour ago, Peacekeepers showed up again,” Peeta explained. “They were tapping on the walls looking for you.”

Haymitch snorted. “Didn’t find me did they?”

“Not this time,” Katniss said.

“We’re going home tomorrow after the show,” Peeta said. “What are your plans?”

Haymitch groaned. “You’re leaving so soon?”

“We’ve been here too long already,” Katniss answered.

“We were wondering if there was anyone who could help you or maybe hide you. I don’t think it would be smart to stay here. What about Plutarch?” Peeta suggested.

Haymitch nodded. “Possibly.”

“Do you need our help? Do you want us to talk to him for you?”

Katniss glared at Peeta. Why was he getting the two of them involved?

Haymitch tilted his head. “That might work. It wouldn’t be unusual for you to meet with him.”

Yeah, especially after the week they’d had, Katniss thought. In fact she was surprised the head of network programming hadn’t contacted them already. After all they had successfully launched Effie’s new show.

“Okay, we’ll do it this afternoon,” Peeta said. “But promise me you’ll hole up here. Because I think the Peacekeepers will be back.”

“Bring me some food and something to drink, and it’s a deal.”

Katniss and Peeta left the stairwell, and walked to the kitchen. Peeta packed up some blueberry muffins, a small block of cheese, and a few pieces of fruit. He located a thermos and filled it with cool water.

“I don’t think that’s the drink Haymitch was expecting,” Katniss joked.

“I don’t think there’s any liquor left, especially if he was down to dosing it with sleep syrup.”

Katniss frowned at the memory.

“Anyway he needs to have his wits about him.”

They carried it back to the victor and then left him alone in the stairwell.

“How are we going to get to Plutarch’s office?” Katniss asked. “Do we need to wear disguises again?”

Peeta groaned. “I forgot about that. I guess you can wear that gold wig again. But please don’t mess with my hair.”

Katniss snorted. Peeta’s hair was still a dirty blonde color. “Maybe you should wear the gold wig and I can color my hair.”

Peeta’s eyes widened. “No, Katiss don’t.”

She smiled at the panic in his voice. “You don’t want me to look like a Capitol beauty?” she asked in her best Capitol accent.

He shook his head. “I like you exactly the way you are.”

He leaned in and kissed her and she wondered whether they had time to step into the bedroom before they went to see Plutarch.

But Peeta pulled away. “I have an idea.”

It took a half hour, but when they were finished, Peeta was wearing the gold wig and Katniss’ hair was covered with a colorful scarf. Peeta had made himself up with metallic silver eyeliner, a la Cinna. Katniss was wearing dark glasses and the big coat she’d worn on their last foray onto the streets of the Capitol.

“What do you think?” Peeta asked as they surveyed their appearance in the large bathroom mirror.

“You look very handsome,” Katniss said staring at Peeta.

“I’m starting to worry that you don’t like the way I really look.”

She did like Peeta’s normal appearance but there was something about the silver eyeliner that made his eyes appear even bluer than usual.

They took the elevator to the ground level and left the building. There were two security guards working in the booth in front. Neither looked up as they hurried past. They were deep in conversation discussing the merits of pink hair vs. blue hair. “Pink is so yesterday,” one of them insisted.

Katniss knew Plutarch’s office was nearby in a building close to the studio where they’d been taping Effie’s show. Fortunately Peeta was good with directions and remembered exactly how to get there.

The disguises they wore must have been convincing because no one looked at them twice as they made their way through the streets of the Capitol. It probably helped that it was mid-afternoon and the streets were nearly empty.

Security at the building where Plutarch worked was thorough. After asking to see Plutarch, the guard refused to allow them on the elevator until they identified themselves. After a brief argument, Katniss was forced to remove her scarf to prove to the guard that she really was Katniss Everdeen Mellark, winner of The Match Game.

She and Peeta had to sign several autographs after that and pose for a photo before the guard called Plutarch’s office and allowed them to take an elevator up.

Plutarch’s desk was covered with paperwork when they walked into his office. They’d been there before, months ago for an uncomfortable meeting toward the end of The Match Game. Plutarch stood up to greet them. He hit a switch on his desk that turned off the television that hung on the wall, before walking over to them.

“Katniss and Peeta, how good to see you.” He hugged Katniss and shook Peeta’s hand.

“Love those disguises, here have a seat.” He motioned to the big conference table in the center of the room.

As soon as they sat down, he groaned. “I’ve been swamped ever since Fulvia’s been on her leave of absence.” He nodded towards the stacks of paperwork on his desk.

“But not too swamped to follow your latest news. Congratulations on your pregnancy Katniss.”

“It’s not true,” Katniss said.

“Of course not,” Plutarch said brightly. “But it’s good for ratings. Well, what can I do for you two?”

“We’re here because of Haymitch,” Peeta began.

Plutarch raised an eyebrow. “Just a minute. He got up from his chair, walked over to his desk, and pushed at something underneath it.

“You can speak freely now.”

Katniss nodded. So conversations in Plutarch’s office were recorded. The pin in her pocket was in the “on” position as well. She didn’t want this conversation recorded either.

“We’re here to plead for Haymitch,” Peeta said bluntly. “We’re leaving tomorrow and we’re worried about him. We know he didn’t murder those two preps.”

Plutarch nodded. “I know.”

“Then why don’t you tell someone in charge,” Katniss blurted out. “Peacekeepers are doing daily sweeps of our penthouse. They’ve threatened to arrest us if they find him there.”

“Is he there?”

Peeta and Katniss fell silent.

“Okay you’ve answered my question.”

“What is going on?” Katniss was angry.

Plutarch cleared his throat. “When President Snow was taken out of command, Seneca Crane was moved into position. It was meant to be a temporary job. The idea was to form a republic where the people of each district and the Capitol elect their own representatives to be their voice in a centralized government.”

Katniss glared at the man.

“Don’t look so suspicious; it’s worked before. If our ancestors could do it, then we can, too.”

“But that didn’t happen,” Peeta pointed out.

“No, it didn’t. `Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely’ is an old saying from the Dark Days, but it’s true. Seneca simply replaced Snow as Panem’s dictator. He got away with it by appeasing the districts – canceling The Hunger Games, and permitting inter-district travel. But now he’s facing economic problems in the Capitol. People are turning against him.”

“Like the preps that are calling for the reinstatement of The Games?” Peeta asked.

Plutarch nodded. “That group is the most visible, but they are actually very weak. There are others that are quite powerful, influential people who are only waiting for Seneca to make a mistake so they have a legitimate reason to remove him from office.”

“Why do they need a reason if he was only supposed to hold the position temporarily?” Peeta asked.

“The relationship between the Capitol and the districts is fragile. Seneca is popular with the districts. We need a smooth transition if we want the districts to continue to support us.

“What does this have to do with Haymitch?” Katniss was growing tired of Plutarch’s history lesson. It didn’t answer any of her questions.

“I would think it’s clear,” Plutarch stated. “The death of so many victors within a short period of time has caused a distraction that has national impact. Someone is behind the distraction and now that someone has targeted Haymitch. If they could pin those preps deaths on him, they also could make him responsible for the recent deaths of all the victors.”

“How? He didn’t travel to those districts and kill those victors.” Katniss wondered if she should mention that Haymitch thought Cashmere and Gloss were the killers. But she had no proof. It was only speculation.

Plutarch laughed. “You’ve spent your entire week defending your husband from false accusations. Haven’t you figured out how the Capitol operates? Evidence can be created. Anything can be spun into gold.”

Katniss glanced at Peeta. His jaw was clenched, his hands had closed forming fists.

“Who is responsible for all this? Who set Haymitch up?” she asked.

“The person who has the most to lose if the distraction ends and the truth comes out about the Capitol economy,” Plutarch replied. “The former head Gamemaker and master of death, Seneca Crane.”

Chapter Text

“Why should we believe you?” Katniss shouted. “All you’ve ever done is lie to us.” She began to list all the grievances she had against the head of television programming starting with the secret filming of her and Peeta in the penthouse that was aired live to the Capitol prior to the start of The Match Game. She went on to complain about the cameras embedded in the walls of their Victor’s Village home, and concluded with the false accusations against Peeta which had led to their appearance on Effie’s tawdry show.

Plutarch shifted uncomfortably in his chair as she spoke. He raised his hand twice, as if to explain, but Katniss wouldn’t let him interrupt. When she was done speaking, a nervous energy lay inside her. She wished she was in the woods and could shoot something.

Plutarch cleared his throat. “I’ll take responsibility for the filming in the penthouse, but I’m not responsible for cameras in your home. Snow installed them in all the victors’ homes. He liked to keep a close watch on their activities. But those cameras were turned off when Seneca took office.”

“They weren’t turned off, ” Peeta retorted. “You got my brother on tape and then you said it was me.”

“Well that was an exception,” Plutarch explained. “We had requested the president’s office, which is in charge of the surveillance cameras, to turn on the ones in your downstairs living area for a few days because we were looking for some footage to promote Effie’s new show.”

“What?” Katniss shrieked.

“We didn’t expect it to be so salacious. We just wanted to get an argument on tape or something that Dr. Aurelius could comment on. But then we got… well, it’s been a gold mine, as you can imagine.”

Katniss was stunned. She never expected Plutarch to be so forthright about his actions. “Why are you telling us all this?”

“I think we can help each other.” Plutarch leaned across the table and studied the couple.

It was Katniss’ turn to shift uncomfortably.

“I’ll make a deal with you two. If you can get Seneca to admit on tape that he’s behind the victors’ deaths, I’ll tear up Katniss’ television contract after tomorrow’s show. That’s all the evidence we need to get him out of office.”

Katniss’ eyes widened. If that contract were destroyed, she’d be free. No more visits to this vile place. No follow-ups on their lives to satisfy the salacious interests of the Capitol.

She exchanged a glance with Peeta. He looked interested, as well.

“You can keep your house, even the stipend,” Plutarch continued.

Katniss nodded, but really she didn’t care about all that. She’d gladly give up her house and stipend, and live in the woods with Peeta if it meant she was free of the Capitol’s control over their lives.

Peeta reached for Katniss’ hand, lacing his fingers through it. “How are we supposed to do it?”

“You admitted Haymitch is in the penthouse.” Plutarch pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to Peeta. “Go back now and have Haymitch call this number. “He should tell the person who answers that he’s holding you both hostage and will kill you unless the president meets with him personally. We’ll break into the afternoon programming to announce it.”

Peeta looked at the card. “What is this place?”

“Panem’s central news desk.”

“Won’t that only bring in a squad of Peacekeepers to shoot up the penthouse?” Peeta asked.

Plutarch shook his head. “I’ll take care of that.”

Katniss frowned. “What if Haymitch disagrees?”

Plutarch snorted. “He’s not in any position to bargain.”

The plan didn’t any make sense to Katniss. “Why would the president be willing to meet with Haymitch?”

“You have no idea the effect you and Peeta have. You’re extremely popular. The entire Capitol would shut down to watch a hostage negotiation on television. And Seneca would definitely want to get in on the action. He has a huge ego.”

Katniss rolled her eyes at Plutarch’s comment about the president’s ego. Did it surpass his own?

“How are we going to get the president to admit to being behind the killings?” Peeta questioned.

Plutarch cleared his throat. “You’ll have to figure that part out yourself, but it shouldn’t be too hard. Just talk with him. He’s a big braggart.”

The more Plutarch described Seneca, the more it sounded to Katniss as if he were talking about himself.

“Could Katniss and I discuss this privately?” Peeta asked.

“Of course.” Plutarch got up from his chair. “I’ll be back in five minutes.”

When he left the room, Peeta turned to Katniss.

“The pin” he mouthed.

“It’s on.”

“What do you think of his plan?”

“It seems a bit fantastical. Impossible even.” It was like a snare. But she’d set thousands of snares. Wasn’t it just a larger snare that used words and actions and big egos instead of wires and strings?

“We could just walk away and leave Haymitch to deal with things himself,” Peeta considered.

“I would, but it would be so nice to be rid of that contract,” Katniss admitted. “I hate that the Capitol has any control over our lives.”

“Over the lives of our future children,” Peeta added.

Katniss gave her husband a curious look. Even though they’d agreed to put off that decision until some unknown date, it was an issue they might possibly contend with sometime in the future. And he was right, the Capitol would exploit the lives of any children they had. Look how frenzied they’d become when they thought she was pregnant.

“If we agree, Plutarch needs to puts something in writing that says he destroys my contract,” Katniss said. “I don’t trust him.”

“I don’t either. I don’t think he’s telling us everything. Seneca may be behind the killings, but he didn’t do the actual killing. Someone is working for him.”

“Gloss or Cashmere?”

“Probably.”

A soft knock on the door alerted them to Plutarch’s return.

“Have you two decided?”

“Yes,” Katniss said. “We’ll do it on the condition that you put everything in writing.”

“Of course.”

Plutarch sat at his desk and handwrote a note describing the deal they had discussed. He signed and dated it, and then got up and handed it to Katniss.

She looked it over carefully before putting it in the pocket of her pants.

Katniss and Peeta stood up to leave.

“I’ll have a car sent downstairs to get you back to the penthouse,” Plutarch said. “And a couple of things. Take off those disguises before you call the authorities, and turn off your cloaking device. I need the cameras working if I’m to get Seneca’s confession on tape.”

Katniss’ face went white. She exchanged a worried glance with Peeta. How did Plutarch know about the pin?

Plutarch snorted. “I know that you’ve got a device that interferes with the cameras. They haven’t been working in the penthouse for the last few days. Did you get it from Beetee when you were visiting Four?

Katniss’ mouth was dry. She nodded.

Let Plutarch think she’d only had the pin for a week. But if he really believed that, then it meant Plutarch wasn’t lying when he said they weren’t being regularly monitored in their Victor’s Village home. She sighed. She was getting much too confused trying to fight back against the Capitol.

“What do you think Haymitch is going to say about the plan?” Katniss asked as they rode back to the penthouse.

Peeta frowned. “I don’t think he’s going to like it. It’s too vague. Maybe he can help us come up a strategy. He did win The Hunger Games after all.”

Katniss shook her head. Haymitch had won a quarter century ago. He wasn’t in very good mental or physical shape these days.

The victor wasn’t around when they entered the penthouse.

“He’s probably in the stairwell,” Peeta said. “Let’s clean up first before we look for him.”

When they had cleaned their faces and changed their clothes, they found Haymitch in the living room, sitting on the couch drinking. “Where have you two been? What did Plutarch say?”

Katniss eyed the glass in his hand. It had to contain spirits because Haymitch seemed quite animated. “Where did you get that liquor?”

The victor cackled. “I finally gave in and went into Chaff’s old apartment looking for something and…” he started laughing maniacally. “Boy, you two are in for a surprise.”

Katniss’ heart began pounding. She didn’t think she could take any more surprises today.

“What is it?” Peeta asked, a worried tone in his voice.

“I can’t tell you because I’d ruin the surprise.”

“Forget it,” Katniss said, suddenly irritated. “We need to talk to you about Plutarch.”

“Does he have a safe place for me to hide?”

“No, the thing is he wants you to give yourself up to Seneca Crane,” Katniss explained

“Absolutely not.” Haymitch stood up.

Ignoring him, Katniss continued. “He wants you to call the news desk and claim you’re holding us hostage and will only negotiate with the president himself for our release.”

“What the point in that?”

“It’s to lure him here so that he can be filmed admitting to being behind the killing of the victors,” Katniss explained.

“Seneca, huh?” Haymitch grinned. “Well, I can’t say I’m surprised.” He shook his head. “But the plan is stupid. He’s never going to admit to it.”

Katniss scowled. What were they going to do now if Haymitch refused to go along?

“How did Plutarch get you two to agree to this plan?”

“He’s going to tear up my television contract,” Katniss said.

Haymitch snorted. “I hope you got that in writing.”

“We did,” Peeta said.

Haymitch sat down and took a swallow from his glass.

“Hm,” he muttered. “Seneca has a hell of an ego. I can see where Plutarch might think he’d confess. But it’s going to take a lot.”

He scrutinized the couple. “Seneca has a thing for the ladies, which is too bad because I think Peeta here could do a better job.”

Haymitch met Katniss’ eyes. “Do you think you can flirt with him enough to get him to open up?”

Katniss throat tightened and she turned nervously toward her husband.

“I don’t like this,” Peeta said.

“You want get rid of that contract though, don’t you.”

Peeta nodded. “But not like this.”

“Well, he might not take the bait. She’s got as much charm as a dead slug.”

Peeta’s face grew red. “Apologize right now Haymitch.”

Katniss was flattered by Peeta’s quick defense of her.

“Calm down boy. Save your outrage for the president.” Haymitch turned to Katniss. “I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to turn on the charm if you want the president to confess.”

Katniss sighed. Haymitch was right about one thing. Peeta would be so much better at this than she.

“Let me think,” Haymitch said, taking another sip from his drink. “You two need to be tied up for this to be believable.” He looked around the room. “I don’t think there is any rope in here. I guess we could tear up some sheets from one of the beds.”

“There’s a drawer filled with leather belts in our bedroom,” Katniss remembered. “We could use them.”

Haymitch smirked. “You don’t say. Why don’t you go get them.”

Katniss went into the room and opened the drawer. She began to pull out the leather items. It didn’t take very long for her to understand why Haymitch had smirked. There were only a few belts on the top of the pile. The other leather items were whips and restraints – the very items that she’d seen on the screen during Effie’s show today.

She shuddered as she realized that someone had deliberately placed the items in the drawer. Did they think she and Peeta might use them? Did they want to get the couple on camera using the items? The thought made her sick.

She piled everything in her arms and carried them back to the living room.

“Where’s Peeta?” she asked when she returned.

“In the kitchen. He’s getting me something to eat.”

Peeta returned with a plate of blueberry muffins and set it on the table.

“Tie up your wife,” Haymitch said. “I’ll tie you up afterwards.”

“Is the pin is still on,” Peeta whispered, leaning in close and kissing the side of her face.

Katniss nodded. “Keep my right hand loose so I can turn it off once we’re both tied up.”

“Sorry about this,” Peeta muttered as he loosely bound her with a long whip as she sat on the sofa.

When he was done, he pulled the card Plutarch had given him from his pocket and handed it to Haymitch. The victor set it down and then wrapped a second whip around Peeta, who sat in a nearby chair, binding Peeta’s hands behind him.

“Okay, I’ll call now.”

Katniss reached into her pocket and hit the “off” switch on the pin. She nodded to Peeta to indicate that everything they said or did from this point on was being recorded.

Haymitch dialed the number on the card. He stated his demands, waited for a couple of minutes, and then spoke again. “Hello Seneca.”

After a brief conversation, he slammed down the phone. “He’ll be here soon.”

Through the thick windows they could hear the sounds of sirens calling. Katniss grew nervous. What if Peeta’s initial concern was correct and instead of Seneca arriving, Peacekeepers kicked the door in and began shooting?

She looked at her husband. He appeared calm. He gave her a tiny smile. “It will be all right,” he mouthed.

Haymitch wandered to the window. “Traffic has been stopped on the street. There are dozens of Peacekeepers out there.”

Ten minutes later there was a knock on the door. Haymitch opened it. “Come in Seneca.”

Katniss twisted her head around to see the president standing there with two armed Peacekeepers at his side. They were different Peacekeepers than those searching the penthouse for the past few days. Maybe they were the president’s personal bodyguards. She groaned inwardly, doubting that he would give himself away with so many people around.

The president walked past the guards and around the sofa to stare at her. He was a tall, handsome man with piercing blue eyes and a closely cropped beard that featured an interesting design of curves along his face. He was probably in his late thirties.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to attend your wedding,” he said. “If I had know what a beautiful woman you were Katniss, I might have insisted Plutarch let me be the Capitol contestant to The Match Game.”

Katniss smiled stiffly, but her stomach churned as she considered the man’s obvious suggestion that she might have considered marrying him.

She looked past him at Peeta. Her husband’s expression was one of disgust.

“Let me untie you,” the president said. He unknotted the whip from where it ended at her arms.

His hand brushed lightly against her skin and Katniss shivered at the touch. The man was evil and she wanted to get as far as possible from him.

“You didn’t do a very good job tying her up,” he said, turning to look at the Haymitch who was standing nearby. “If you even did it at all.”

Seneca shot a glance at Peeta. “Untie him,” he called to one of the Peacekeepers who were standing guard at the front door.

Katniss stretched her arms, and Seneca reached for her hand pulling her up from the sofa. “Feeling better now Katniss,” he said, his white teeth gleaming.

She nodded, and watched the Peacekeeper untie Peeta. Once free from his ties, Peeta moved to her side, wrapping an arm around her waist.

“Thank you Mr. President,” Peeta said.

Seneca studied Peeta for a moment. “Lock him in a bedroom and stand guard outside the door,” he told the Peacekeepers. “Katniss and I will be talking with Haymitch here.”

Katniss bit her lip. She turned to face her husband, worried about what would happen next. Why was Seneca separating them? Peeta let go of her waist and cupped her face.

“Don’t worry. I’ll see you soon.” He kissed her lips gently and when he pulled away she saw the concern in his eyes.

She gave him a small smile, but her stomach churned. What was going to happen? Why had she allowed Plutarch to drag them into this mess?”

Peeta left her side and stomped down the hallway. The Peacekeepers trailed behind him. After a minute, she heard a door open and shut loudly.

Once they were gone, Seneca turned to Haymitch. “You must be a bigger fool than I thought. You have nothing to negotiate with me.” He walked over to the telephone and made a call. “Right now,” he barked into it. He slammed the receiver down.

Haymitch was sitting at the dining table, having turned the chair around to face outward. He hadn’t done anything other than open the door for Seneca. Was he waiting for Katniss to make a move?

She cleared her throat. “Haymitch wasn’t really holding us hostage,” she began. “We came up with this plan so that he would have the opportunity to speak with you directly.”

“A very weak plan,” Seneca said. He addressed Haymitch. “No wonder you never had a tribute who won The Games.”

A look of despair crossed the victor’s face and Katniss wondered at it. Was this why Haymitch spent his life in drunken solitude?

“He couldn’t have killed those two preps,” she continued. “He was here with Peeta and me the whole time.” Well that wasn’t exactly true, but she knew Haymitch was in no shape to get across town, commit two murders, and return to the penthouse.

“So you admit to hiding a fugitive. That is a crime Mrs. Mellark.”

Katniss shook her head. “Don’t you understand? He didn’t do it.”

“His fingerprints were all over the knife that was left behind.”

Katniss wanted to cry. She could think of nothing that she could say that would make Seneca admit any involvement in the murder of the preps or the victors. They had no plan at all.

A soft knock sounded at the door, and Katniss jumped.

“You may answer that Katniss,” the president said.

Katniss went to the door expecting to find more Peacekeepers outside, ready to haul them all off to jail. Instead, Cashmere was standing outside, a crazy glint in her eyes. Katniss opened the door wider and let the woman inside. For a brief moment Katniss considered running out of the penthouse and hitting the button for the elevator. She didn’t care much about Haymitch, but she couldn’t leave Peeta behind in the penthouse.

“Do you have everything?” Seneca asked Cashmere.

She nodded, breaking into a smile.

Katniss hoped the cameras were working, that all of the Capitol, even all of Panem, was watching their revolting president and his helper. Because she had no doubt of what they were planning – to finish the job Brutus failed to complete. And they were allowing her to be a witness to it for some reason. Unless they were planning to kill her as well.

Her throat grew tight. She had to stop this. But how?

“Is the camera on?” Seneca asked Cashmere.

Cashmere touched the large pendant hanging around her neck and straightened it out, before nodding.

Was Cashmere was wearing a camera? Katniss giggled involuntarily. Seneca glared at her.

“Cameras,” she choked out, a tremor in her voice. “The walls are chock full of them.”

“You’re right,” Seneca said. “And they’ve been blocked ever since I entered.”

Katniss’ jaw dropped. How could she be so naïve? Plutarch’s plan was a chaotic mess from the beginning. Surely he must have known that the president would have his own cloaking device to prevent himself from being filmed in the penthouse.

Cashmere turned to face Haymitch. She pulled a knife from her pocket and advanced on the victor, who now stood facing her, a knife in his hand as well.

Seneca was grinning.

“No,” Katniss screamed as Cashmere sliced into Haymitch’s cheek, the blood pouring down his face.

Katniss’ neighbor raised his hand flashing his knife at his fellow victor, but Cashmere roughly pushed his hand aside. Haymitch’s knife fell to the floor.

Katniss leaped forward to protect Haymitch. But Seneca grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back. She hit him, her arms swinging backwards striking at his sides like a wild animal trying to escape a trap.

The sudden realization that she was hitting the president of Panem brought her up short. What had she just done?

She froze for a moment, searching her brain, trying to think of something that would stop Cashmere from her deadly attack.

Haymitch leaned back into the table pulling his legs up and scooting across the surface. Katniss was amazed at the drunk’s quick reaction. But Cashmere was equally fast as she climbed onto the table and followed him across and onto the other side. Haymitch picked up a chair and held in front of Cashmere to block her knife thrusts. Cashmere stopped for a moment before picking up another chair.

Behind her she could hear Seneca laughing, gleefully. “You’re getting all this aren’t you.”

Cashmere didn’t answer. She was focused on using the chair she was holding to knock Haymitch’s chair from his arms.

You’re getting all this aren’t you? The though reverberated in Katniss’ head.

Cashmere was filming Haymitch’s murder. Why did Seneca want the murder of a victor filmed? So many victors had been killed. Were all the murders filmed? What was the president doing with all the tapes?

Katniss remembered something Haymitch had said in an earlier conversation. The Hunger Games wetted people’s appetites for something more salacious.

Katniss gasped as she realized what was going on. Seneca had arranged for the murders of the victors and was filming each killing so that he could sell the tapes to private collectors; maybe even broadcast the slayings on television. Even though he’d cancelled The Games three years ago to appease the districts, he was still acting like the Head Gamemaker, selling murder as a form of entertainment.

Did Plutarch know? Was he involved?

Her gasp was drowned out by the thud of Cashmere’s chair hitting Haymitch on the head. He dropped to the floor.

“Stab him,” Seneca yelled. Katniss could hear the glee in his voice.

Desperate to stop Cashmere from finishing Haymitch off, Katniss bent her head down to Seneca’s arm and bit. He yelled, releasing his hurt arm from around her but not before roughly pulling her around to face him.

“You little..” he began, but the words never came out as he was lifted in the air.

For a moment, Katniss was stunned. Had Peeta come to her rescue? But then she saw that it was one of the Peacekeepers, who had pulled the president back by his collar and lifted him off the ground a few inches.

The other Peacekeeper ran forward and grabbed Cashmere by the shoulders, knocking the knife from her hand. He pulled her back from Haymitch, who was moaning.

Katniss looked at the Peacekeepers in amazement. She had thought they were on the president’s side. But apparently they weren’t. Had Plutarch handpicked them? Were they working for him?

Katniss rushed to Haymitch. His shirt was bloody. Cashmere had stabbed him in nearly the same spot he’d been stabbed before. She ran into the kitchen, grabbed some towels, and rushed back into the dining area to tend to him.

She turned to notice that the Peacekeepers had put handcuffs on Seneca and Cashmere. They were sitting on the sofa and one Peacekeeper had his gun drawn and pointed at them. The second had pulled out a communications device and was calling for additional Peacekeepers, as well as a medic to treat Haymitch.

Katniss sighed in relief. Plutarch’s half-baked plan had worked. Hopefully Seneca’s cry of “stab him,” was recorded on Cashmere’s pendant camera.

She was leaning over Haymitch holding a towel against his shoulder to stop the bleeding when she heard a crashing sound. She looked up to see Peeta rushing down the hallway straight toward her. As he got nearer, she saw that he wasn’t alone. Even though help was no longer needed, he had brought reinforcements.

So this was Effie’s surprise.

Chapter Text

Following Peeta was his brother Rye. Her brother-in-law’s skin had a glow about it that Katniss recognized. He’d obviously gone through prepping in the remake center.

So Cressida hadn’t lied. Effie was going to reveal the truth on tomorrow’s show. She’d even brought Rye to the Capitol to explain it himself.

As soon as Peeta reached her side, more Peacekeepers arrived to escort the president and Cashmere from the penthouse. Medics appeared and put Haymitch on a stretcher to take him to the hospital. Katniss and Peeta followed after the medics but Plutarch was in the lobby, stopping them before they could leave the building.

“He’ll be fine. You two need to be prepped for the cameras.”

They followed him back to the penthouse that was already being turned into a mini-studio with bright portable lights being set up around the living room. Katniss and Peeta were sent to their room to be made up by Octavia, Venia, and Flavius. When they returned to the living area, Caesar Flickerman was seated in the chair where Peeta had been bound only a couple of hours earlier. He looked festive with his neon green hair and suit.

The couple sat across from him on the sofa. Katniss fielded a larger portion of the interview questions because Peeta had been locked away while the main action had occurred. Still she was grateful to have him by her side as she described the scene that had taken place only a short time ago.

“You’ve helped to save our country from a depraved dictator,” Caesar said at the close of the interview. “How will we ever repay you?”

Katniss paused. She knew that whatever she said would be replayed as a sound bite over and over on television, probably for the rest of her life.

“Oh that’s a hard one.” She gave a faint, breathy laugh. Help me Peeta, she thought as she threw him a frantic glance.

As if he could read her mind, Peeta answered for her. “We’d like to return to our regular lives and enjoy our privacy. We’re still newlyweds after all.”

Katniss turned to her husband, leaned in close, and kissed him on the lips. “Thank you,” she murmured.

“Aww,” Caesar said, his hands covering his heart. “Of course you are. How quickly we forget.”

The interview ended. Katniss stood up and turned to see Delly seated next to Rye at the dining table. She, too, had that remake glow about her. Amazingly the preps had made that pasty-faced girl look attractive.

Anger swept over her. If those two had taken care of their business on the slag heap instead of in her house, she and Peeta would never have been forced to come to the Capitol to defend themselves. She began to walk over to them, prepared to give them a piece of her mind when Peeta reached for her hand, forcing her to stop.

“I’ve already talked to my brother about everything.”

“What did he say?”

“He apologized.”

That didn’t seem like enough, but she knew that for her husband it would suffice. He was just too damn nice.

Later, when everyone else had left the penthouse and Peeta had cooked dinner for the four of them, Katniss listened to her brother-in-law and new sister-in-law tell of the fallout of their actions.

“We had a quickie toasting in front of the oven in the bakery before Good Morning Panem was even over,” Delly said. “Once my parents saw that tape, they shut up the shoe shop and marched me straight to the bakery. I didn’t even have time to comb my hair.”

“It was awful,” Rye admitted. “Mom hit my head so hard with the rolling pin, I don’t even remember the toasting.”

Delly side-eyed her husband. “Your mother gave us stale onion buns to toast.” She grimaced before continuing, “when we kissed afterward...well yuck.”

As Katniss listened to the couple describe their pathetic wedding, she pitied them. Granted she’d been coerced into marrying as well, but at least she’d had a beautiful extravaganza, and she’d certainly gotten the best of the Mellark men. She had not a single doubt about Peeta’s love for her, while she wondered at Rye’s devotion to Delly. He’d clearly been ordered to marry her by both sets of parents. And if Haymitch was right and they were expecting a child…poor Delly. Katniss hoped for Delly’s sake that Rye would settle down now and give up his playboy ways.

She looked across the table at Peeta and smiled at him. Yes, she was very lucky to have him, even if he was too nice. Of course she could be mean, so maybe they balanced each other out.

The two couples spent the remainder of the evening watching the latest updates on television. According to Claudius Templesmith, there hadn’t been this much excitement in Panem since the assassination of President Snow and the overthrow of his administration three years earlier. There was so much news to cover.

Claudius mentioned that Haymitch’s wounds had been stitched up and he was resting comfortably in his hospital bed.

Gloss, who had been shooting a series of magazine advertisements that afternoon, had been taken in for questioning after his sister Cashmere accused him of joining her in the murder of several victors and most recently the two preps. Both were now behind bars.

President Crane had been moved to an undisclosed location in District 2 where he was being confined and questioned. His office had already been searched and audio and video tapes of an incriminating nature had been found.

But most important, an emergency election was being called so that all of Panem could vote for a new leader who would serve a limited term. Hastily prepared ads for candidates were airing at every commercial break.

Finally, when it was very late, Rye and Delly stood up to leave.

“We should go now,” Rye said. “We’re supposed to do the show tomorrow.”

Peeta nodded, and turned off the television.

“Can we cut through…” Rye began, and Peeta nodded.

“They’re using the stairs between the two floors,” he explained to Katniss.

The two couples set off down the hall. As Rye and Delly turned to go through Haymitch’s room, Katniss remembered. “There are cameras in the walls of this building. You might want to avoid any…”

“Oh damn,” Rye blurted out, his cheeks flushing pink. “I wish we’d known that.”

Much later when Katniss and Peeta were cuddled in their own bed with the mockingjay pin set to the “on” position, Peeta explained that one of the Peacekeepers had revealed that the pair was working for Plutarch before they shut him in the bedroom.

“So I went down the stairwell to get into the apartment on eleven to look for a weapon in case the Peacekeepers needed my help. I found Rye in the kitchen with Delly making cookies.”

“Making cookies. Were they dressed?”

“Very funny Katniss, but they really were making cookies.” He grinned. “We’re bakers after all. We know how to keep our women happy.”

“By plying them with food.”

“Well, it works.”

Katniss swatted at him, but he grabbed at her wrist and she was very glad for the pin.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Effie was in a terrible mood the next morning as she sat in the makeup chair. “The overthrow of the government has ruined everything,” she pouted. “We have to tape today’s episode. I don’t know when it will air. All they’re showing on t.v. are stories about the downfall of President Crane.”

“Well he is responsible for several deaths,” Delly pointed out.

Effie scowled at her guest. “I know, and it’s a terrible thing he did to the victors and those dear preps but all the coverage is interfering with my show.”

And while Katniss thought that Effie was being ridiculous, she had to admit that she, too, was disappointed that the big reveal wouldn’t be aired live today. She wanted to clear Peeta’s name. Who knew if the episode would ever be shown and put everything straight?

The set was rearranged yet again for this last show. Two sofas faced each other and Effie’s throne chair was placed at the head.

Katniss was surprised to see that Peeta’s hair had been lightened to his natural color, but then she realized it was likely done because now it matched Rye’s exactly.

The show opened with the grainy footage of Rye and Delly on the sofa in their home.

Delly flinched and Rye looked uncomfortable.

“It appears there was a some confusion in the secret footage we gathered,” Effie said to the camera. “It was assumed that Peeta Mellark was cheating on his wife Katniss. But after careful study it was determined that it was actually Peeta’s brother Rye and his lovely wife Delly meeting up in romantic tryst that caught our attention.”

She made both men stand up and turn their backs to the camera.

“They look so much alike,” she chirped. “Don’t they ladies?”

“Oh yes,” Delly agreed.

Except for the obvious height difference, Peeta was at least three inches shorter than his brother, both men did look alike from the back. But they were brothers and both had been star wrestlers in school and lifted a lot of heavy sacks of flour. Of course they would have similar builds.

Katniss was surprised Effie didn’t ask Peeta and Rye to take off their shirts as well, but then Cressida called “cut” for a commercial break. When the red light went back on, Effie had moved to another topic.

Effie didn’t even point out that Delly’s and Rye’s televised “tryst” led to a quickie wedding back in District 12, but maybe, Katniss thought, she didn’t know. It was obvious that research wasn’t considered necessary when producing Capitol t.v. shows.

When the theme music played and Effie’s signature closing, “chins up and smiles on,” was uttered, Katniss breathed a sigh of relief. Her contractual obligations to Panem’s television network were over.

A stagehand collected everyone’s microphones and the two couples said their goodbye’s to each other. Effie’s show was sending Rye and Delly for an all expenses-paid trip to the District 4 to make up for the national humiliation they’d faced.

“Wouldn’t you like to join them?” Effie asked Katniss and Peeta.

Katniss grimaced, thinking how awkward it would be to pretend to get along for days with Delly and Rye. While Katniss had made up her mind to try to befriend her old schoolmate because it definitely would help to have an ally in the event she had to interact with her mother-in-law in the future, she wasn’t ready to spend more then a couple of hours with the pair just yet. She’d rather wait and visit Four later when she and Peeta could spend their time with Annie and Finnick.

“We can’t,” Peeta explained. “I need to get back to the bakery. With Rye away my dad needs the help.”

“You’re such a good person.” Effie turned to Katniss, “Now take good care of him.”

Katniss nodded. That was her plan exactly. To put Peeta somewhere safe, and never let him out of her sight.

They still had some things to take care of before they left the Capitol, though. As soon as they stepped into the car, Peeta asked the driver to take them to the hospital so they could visit Haymitch.

With the shocking actions of President Crane revealed, public opinion regarding the status of the victors had changed overnight. They’d gone from leeches on the Capitol coffers to revered “national treasures.” The evidence could be seen in the number of floral displays, balloons, and cards that decorated Haymitch’s hospital room.

The visit with their neighbor, who was awake and asking for liquor, was cut short when Plutarch showed up.

He looked gleeful. “This is just the kind of story that is a ratings bonanza.” He went on to explain that Cashmere and Seneca had been secret lovers for years. But with her arrest, she’d turned against the man and was talking freely about the matter.

“She claims that Seneca had told her the murders were part of a special television series that would be sold to select subscribers who are interested in that sort of thing,” Plutarch explained.

“Initially Brutus was involved, too. He’d poisoned Lyme, but when he failed to kill your neighbor here,” Plutarch nodded toward Haymitch, “Seneca ordered Cashmere and Gloss to take care of him.”

Katniss felt queasy as she remembered Brutus’ body in the bathtub. From the weird angle of his neck, it was clear it had been broken. She supposed Gloss had done it.

“One fascinating aspect to the story is that Cashmere claims that some of the victims didn’t die from stabbing.” Plutarch’s eyes lit up in excitement. “Apparently they committed unintentional suicide when they were offered food laced with nightlock. The knife wounds were done after the victors were already dead.”

“We’ll have to study those tapes very carefully,” Plutarch continued. “Then all the bodies will need to be exhumed and more research done. This could go on for months. Expect forensics to become a very popular topic in Panem. I’ve got several dramatic shows already planned.”

“What about the murder of the preps and the knife with Haymitch’s fingerprints on it?” Peeta asked.

Plutarch waved his hand dismissively. “Cashmere and Gloss. The Capitol has all the victors’ fingerprints on file. It would be easy enough to place a print on the knife and plant it as false evidence.”

“Was The Consortium group that kidnapped Haymitch involved as well?” Katniss asked.

Plutarch shook his head. “No. But Seneca took advantage of their actions to shape the public’s opinion about victors and The Games.

“Why pin it on Haymitch, though?” Katniss questioned.

“I think all of them were furious at being outwitted by this fellow here.” Plutarch patted Haymitch’s shoulder.

Outwitted by Haymitch? Katniss nearly burst out laughing. She suspected her neighbor was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nothing more.

The victor smiled however, seemingly pleased at Plutarch’s compliment.

“Now hurry up and get better Haymitch,” Plutarch added. “Caesar can’t wait to interview you.”

Haymitch rolled his eyes.

“It’s a happy ending all around,” Plutarch crowed. “A chance for a new beginning for the county. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the contract Katniss had signed many months earlier when she agreed to star in The Match Game.

As she reached out for it, Katniss pondered her new beginning as well. Her life had changed in such a short span of time. She’d found love and inadvertently helped to rid Panem of a loathsome president. But now she was ready to return to her private life. She tore the contract in half.

“Thank you,” she said to Plutarch. “I’m glad to be done with this place.”

Plutarch cleared his throat. “Well, actually you’re not done with us. You’ll need to come back once Seneca’s trial starts. You’re one of the star witnesses.”

Katniss groaned.

Peeta reached for her hand, squeezing it reassuring. “It will be okay. We have each other.” He leaned in close and whispered. “We have the pin.”

She nodded. Although to be on the safe side, she intended to dig every camera out of the walls of their house when they got back to District 12.

After saying goodbye to their neighbor who would be recuperating in the Capitol for a week longer, they went in search of Cinna. But the nurse said he’d improved greatly since their visit and had been released.

As they got into the car to return to the penthouse, pack up, and then leave the Capitol, the driver asked if they wanted to make any more stops.

“Just one more,” Katniss said.

A puzzled look appeared on Peeta’s face.

“We have to go to a furniture store and order a new sofa and dining table.”

 

Epilogue

“You’re back,” Plutarch greeted Fulvia.

“Yes, and I’m eager to get to work. I had the most wonderful idea for a show while I was away in rehab.”

“What is it?” Plutarch leaned forward in his chair. He needed another hit. Ratings for Effie’s show had taken a dive after the first week.

“I call it Keeping up with the Mellarks. We move the entire Mellark clan to the Victor’s Village and follow their every....”

“I have to stop you Fulvia; I ended Katniss’ contract.”

Fulvia shook her head. “That doesn’t matter. This show won’t revolve around Katniss. It will focus on the petty drama that ensues between a bossy matriarch, her mild-mannered husband, and her handsome children and their love interests.”

“Do you think anyone would watch such shallow drivel?”

Fulvia grinned. “I’m sure of it.”

THE END

 

Thank you to everyone who has commented and/or left kudos for this story. I appreciate it so much. My next story will be an historic Everlark AU set in Wyoming Territory in 1870. I'm still writing, but hope to have the first chapter posted sometime in August.