Zoya was up again, not pacing but standing. The Mutts chased Katniss and Peeta all the way to the cornucopia. Peeta helped Katniss up as she pulled him up, one of the mutts already grabbing his bad leg. Zoya gasped loudly when he happened, Katniss yanking Peeta up and left the Mutts at the bottom.

The second Peeta was stood, Cato appeared behind them, shoving them both in opposite directions. Haymitch stood up as he grabbed Zoyas shoulders tightly. Peeta had tackled Cato before he managed to get ahold of Katniss, taking him down but the District Two tribute was prepared for this, training all his life for a situation like this.

"No!" Zoya cried out as Cato got his arms tightly around Peeta neck, one wrong move and the bakers sons neck would snap. Katniss aiming her arrow their way, freezing when she took notice of his ability to snap Peetas neck immediately if she shot his way. Zoya began to hold her breath.

She thought about what Peeta had said to her before he went into the arena, about not watching when he was about to die.

"Go on. Shoot." Cato encouraged Katniss, smiling through bloody teeth from his attack from the Mutts. "Then we both go down and you'd win. Go on. I'm dead anyway."

If Cato was the one to win this, Zoya swore to herself right then and there , she'd kill him. He did what everyone else did. But she couldn't imagine looking at the guy who killed Peeta and Katniss every victors night.

"I always was, right?" Cato laughed, but he'd been crying. Like the rest of them, the games got to his head just as bad as it did the fellow victors. "I didn't know that until now. How's that? Is that what they want? Huh?"

Katniss aimed her arrow at him more when he stumbled around slightly.

"I can still do this." Cato spoke, hands tightening around Peetas head. Zoya began to cry as she stared. "I can still do this. One more kill. It's the only thing I know how to do. Bringing pride to my district. Not that it matters."

Before either had a chance to react, Katniss shot Cato in the hand. He cried out in pain, loosening his grip on Peeta as the Mellark boy elbowing him harshly before shoving him off the side. The Mutts tore into him immediately, the boy from Two screaming out in pain and he suffered through his death.

Katniss went to Peetas side, the pair staring down at him before she pulled one of her arrows free, shooting him in the head to end his misery. Zoya realized that the hovercraft wouldn't be able to take his body back to his district. Only pieces of him. But she didn't have time to think about it too much as the final canon blew, Katniss and Peeta hugging tightly.

Zoyas legs gave out as she fell to the ground. No one cheered, but there was a rush of relief over the few in the penthouse of Twelve. Zoya realized that Katniss was coming home. They'd be able to have a chance at a real friendship, she wouldn't have to guiltily take care of her mother and sister and have to feel like she could have done more too save her. Peeta. Peeta was coming back to her. The only person she'd ever known that completely understood and comforted her entirely was coming back to her.

They'd be reunited in under thirty minutes if she managed to make a run for it.

Before she had the chance to even act on her thought, the sun was rising in the area and the remaining pair slide off the side of the cornucopia, listening as the voice came over the speaker. "Attention. Attention, Tributes. There has been a slight rule change. The previous revision, allowing for two victors from the same district, has been revoked. Only one victor may be crowned. Good luck. And may the odds be ever in your favor."

"No!" Zoya cried out. It was drawn out and filled with agony and cries. All the way down to her district floor had heard her, the videos around the capitol getting it voice recorded.

Haymitch held her as she cried on the floor, he'd shhed her harshly when Peeta spoke up. "Go ahead. One of us should go home. One of us has to die. They have to have their victor."

This was it, the moment he told her to look away from. So she did, looking away so she wouldn't have to see the poor boys death.

"No, they don't." Katniss speaking brought her eyes open, looking up at the screen. Her berries, nightlock berries laid in her hand. Peeta grabbed her wrist in a panic. "Trust me. Trust me."

Katniss sprinkled some into his hand, keeping her own for herself. Zoya gapped up at the screen, her mouth hung slightly as she watched. She couldn't even cry, only sniffle, because the last thing she'd expect was this. "Together?"

"Together." Katniss agreed.

"Okay." Peeta spoke slightly. Zoya hated every second of this. Her fingers dug into the carpet harshly, causing a terrible burn that was nothing compared to what she was feeling in her heart. "One."

Katniss looked at the camera. "Two."

Peeta did the saw. Maybe he was trying to look at the capitol. Maybe he just wanted Zoya to see him one last time, a half grin for just a second as he nodded. "Three."

As they pair rose the berries to their mouths, Zoya saw spots and realized how badly she'd been holding her breath. She didn't let it go until the speaker rung again. "Stop! Stop!"

She took a deep, ragged breath and clutched her chest tightly. What she felt just now was worse then all the times she'd thought about killing herself, all the lose, all the nightmares, her games. Never did something make her feel so much anxiety and panic all at once. "Ladies and Gentleman, may I present the winners of the 74th Annual Hunger Games."

Zoya cried loudly, in relief as she dropped her head. This time, Haymitch did give a cheer as cries of joy went across the room. The drunk man held Zoya, her face buried into the carpet as he leaned down to say. "You can make it if you hurry."

So she did, standing up immediately. Her lack of food, sleep, and all the tears she'd lost made her weak. Yet, she ran to where she knew the hovercraft would land. When she arrived, the opening slide down and two paramedics were rushing Peetas body out.

"Peeta!" Zoya yelled out as she charged at the gurner, looking down at him. She wanted to sigh in relief, but he looked good as dead right now. "Peeta! Wake up! Where are-"

Just as his hand grabbed hers, the paramedics were pulling him away from her. Zoya breathed out in a panic. He was badly hurt, but he was alive, and he was back here with her. She ran a hand through her terribly greased hair, her pounding headache finally taking over her mind. Zoya turned around quickly.

Katniss was walking to her.

Zoya ran to her, wrapping her in a tight hug. Before the games, Katniss felt so awkward hugging Zoya. But now, it's all she wanted to do. A familiar face, a comforting face. Hugging her was the only thing that would save her right now. "You're okay."

"Peetas leg is bad, but he's okay." Katniss promised her.

"Come on." Zoya spoke up, but it took all her might to find the energy to let Katniss go. "We need to check you out."

Katniss grabbed her tightly. "I knew."

Zoya blinked.

"The berries. It made me think of you, in the arena." Katniss spoke. Zoya didn't even think about the fact that their deaths could have been on her own hands. "You saved us."

Zoyas eyes watered as she stared at her. "You saved yourself and your family."

Katniss cried as well, because she was going home.

"And you saved him." Zoyas voice broke as she looked at her. "I am so glad both of you are okay."

The pair hugged tightly once more.

Peetas surgery was hours long, then he was asleep for even longer. Zoyas tailbone was killing her from sitting down, hunched over in the hospital wing. Peetas room shielded with curtains for now, Zoya made herself busy by tearing the room apart to make sure no cameras were set up to be watching her.

Peeta muffling made her stop, looking over. He tossed slightly, grumbling something before his gorgeous, hazelnut eyes opened. The first thing he saw was the ceiling of the hospital, then slowly found Zoya next to him. She smiled at him. "Took you long enough."

He grinned, still half asleep. "Did we-"

"Both of you made it." Zoya whispered as she sat next to him, caressing his face softly. "They had to take your leg, Peeta. But there's a prosthetic waiting for you. I watched them make it. It will be perfect."

Peeta shifted to feel, blinking violently when realizing he indeed only had one leg. Panic didn't have time to set in before she'd brushed his hair from his head, one hand on his cheek as they met eyes again. "You're okay."

Peetas weaker hand held her wrist. "It's good to see you."

Zoya smiled with a nod. "It's good to see you."

Peeta looked around, his voice weak. "What happens now?"

The now, perhaps that would be the worst part. Zoya held back a moment until he looked at her. "Now you and Katniss live on your love story every single time the cameras come around."

Peeta knew that much. His hand on her wrist was enough for him to go on. "And you?"

And you? What question was that? And you? What happened to you? What happens to us?

"Snow threatened me." Zoya whispered slightly. "He knows something is wrong here. If anyone, and I mean anyone, had the wrong idea he'd-"

"I'm not gonna pretend like you don't exist, either. I'm not gonna do that." Peeta stopped her quickly, staring up at her as his eyes darted around her own. "I just got back to you. I'm not doing it again."

Zoya was silent a second. "I know. We just have to think about our actions more."

"Think about what actions?" Peeta asked. Zoya let his hand go and removed her hand from his face.

"Those actions." she spoke. But it killed her not to hold him right now, and it made him want to be back in the arena rather then have to pretend he didn't want her near ever second of every day.

•

kylie speaks

fuck i'm so glad they
are back and FINALLY
CATCHING FIRE IS HERE!
I HAVE SO MUCH PLANNED,
AND YALL GET TO MEET ROZ!