All Rights to charters go to the amazing Suzanne Collins!!! Hope you enjoy!

✅

Chapter 5

I figured out what they were whispering about. I don't even have to think about it. I love Peeta, And I always will.

"Yes!" I say. He puts the ring on my finger, stands, picks me up, spins me around, and kisses me. It's the kind of kiss that makes me want more. It's just hunger. Later, of course, because the kiss in front of the cameras can only be for show.

"We have a yes, folks!" Caeser yells. Of course, someone has to interrupt the moment.

"Look, President Snow is coming to talk to the happy couple!" Caeser yells. I'm sure he's not that bad, just raised in the Capitol, but does he have to announce everything that is happening? I look down at the-my-ring. It's silver with the inscription "Always" on it and a diamond on each side of "Always." I love it.

President Snow clasps Peeta's hand and tells him congratulations. He then hugs me. I raise my eyebrows to ask what my mouth can't. 'Did we do it' I think to myself. In answer, he gives a slight shake of his head. I then see my whole world explode. We didn't do it. No matter how true my love for Peeta, it isn't to be believed.

"President Snow, do you have a date in mind?" Caeser asks unaware to what just went on.

"First, we better clear it with Katniss' mother." He puts his arm around my shoulder.

"Maybe we can get you married by thirty." Snow says.

"Mother please?" I say, staring into a camera with my lip stuck out, trying to play the part Snow wants. We all laugh, laughing with the enemy. Despite the true love for Peeta the desire to get married so young is strictly Capitol.

Next, we have to go to the dinner at President Snow's mansion. The mansion is huge, but it isn't my first time here. I'm smiling out of the joy of being engaged to Peeta, but every time I'm really happy, I see that shake of Snow's head. Maybe we can all run away. If I can get us all to run out in the woods forever. We'll be safe. That is if they don't find us.

I have one of each. Peeta does too, but he eats what I don't from mine. As much as I would like to sit here and not talk to anyone, it doesn't happen. We're like the main event. People come to congratulate us on our win and our engagement. Even though I feel like we've done and won nothing. Peeta and I are summoned to the bar by my prep team.

"How do you like the food?" they ask.

"It's good, but I don't have room for any more," I say.

"Well, no one lets that stop them! Drink this." Flavius says. Peeta picks it up.

"Not here! Over there!" Octiva sequels and points to the restrooms.

"You mean this stuff will make me throw up?" Peeta asks.

"So you can eat more! Everyone does it!" Octavia says. Peeta carefully sets the glass back down.

"Let's go dance Katniss." And we dance together momentarily, but as the main events, any people want to dance with us.

It feels so weird to have someone else's hand on me. I'm only used to my mother, Prim, and Peeta touching me. Mockingjays must be a new style here; everyone keeps showing me there is something with a Mockingjay on it. Bracelets, watches, tattoos, anything.

Peeta and I sit down to eat again after our stomachs have settled when someone else approaches us.

"I'm Plutarch Heavensbee, the new Head Gamemaker. Congratulations on your engagement. Would you care to dance?" I don't want to dance with Plutarch Heavensnbee.

We chit-chat about the party, about entertainment, about the food, and then he makes some jokes about avoiding punch since the training. I don't get it, and then I realize he's the one who tripped backward into the punch bowl when I shot the arrow at the Gamemakers during the training session.

"Oh, you're the one who-"I laugh, remembering him splashing back into the bowl.

"Yes. And you'll be pleased to know I've never recovered," says Plutarch. I want to point out that twenty-two dead tributes will never recover, but I don't.

"Good. So your Head Gamemaker this year? That must be a big honor." I say as earnestly as I can muster without looking like I want to send him back into the punch bowl.

"Between you and me, there weren't many takers for the job," he says. "So much responsibility as for how the Games turn out."

Yeah, the last guys are dead, I think. He must know about Seneca Crane, but he doesn't seem the least bit concerned."Are you planning the Quarter Quell Games already?"

A Quarter Quell only takes place every twenty-five years. Each Quarter Quell comes a new awful twist for the games. You had to vote on who went into the arena in the first quarter quell. For the second one, fifty years, twice as many people went in; that was the year Haymitch won. I will be mentoring in the seventy-fifth. I can't even walk by the school without wondering who it will be.

"Oh yes. Well, they've been in the works for years, of course. Arenas aren't built in a day. But shall we say, the flavor of the Games is being determined now. Believe it or not, I've got a strategy meeting at midnight tonight," he says. Plutarch takes a step back and pulls a gold watch from a vest pocket on a chain. He flips the lid, sees the time and frowns.

"I'll have to be going soon."

He turns the watch so I can see the face. "It starts at midnight."

"That seems late," I say, but then something distracts me. Plutarch has run his thumb across the watch's crystal face, and for just a moment, an image appears, glowing as if lit by candlelight. It's another Mockingjay. Exactly like the pin on my dress. Only this one disappears. He snaps the watch closed.

"That's very pretty," I say.

"Oh, it's more than pretty. It's one of a kind," Plutarch says.

"If anyone asks about me, say I've gone home to bed. The meetings are supposed to be secret. But I thought it'd be safe to tell you."

"Yes. Your secrets safe with me," I say.

"Well, I'll see you next summer at the Games, Katniss. Best wishes on your engagement, and good luck with your mother."

"I'll need it," I say. I wander through the crowd looking for Peeta as people congratulate me. I find Peeta admiring a table of elaborately decorated cakes. Bakers come in from the kitchen, especially to talk frosting with him, and you can see them tripping over one another to answer his questions. At his request, they assemble an assortment of little cakes for him to take home and examine their work in quiet.

"Effie said we have to be on the train at one. I wonder what time it is," he says glancing around.

"Almost midnight," I reply. I pluck a chocolate flower from a cake with my fingers and nibble on it, so beyond worrying about my manners.

"Time to say thank you and farewell!" Thrills Effie at my elbow. It's one of those moments when I love her compulsive punctuality.

We collect Cinna and Portia, and she escorts us around saying goodbye to influential people, then herds us to the door.

"Shouldn't we thank President Snow?" asks Peeta. "It's his house."

"Oh, he's not one big for parties. Too busy," says Effie.

"I've already arranged for the necessary notes and gifts to be sent to him tomorrow. There you are!"

Haymitch comes up, almost tripping over his feet with a bottle of liquor in his hand.

When we are on the train, Haymitch is deposited in his room. Cinna orders tea, and we sit around a table while Effie rattles her schedule papers and reminds us we're still on tour. Peeta and I walk to my room. When the train stops for gas. We go out for some "fresh air."

I tell him what President Snow did.

"Katniss it's okay. We can run. We'll get our families and run. We just need to ask Haymitch if he figured anything out, which is of course doubtful." I nod my head, numb from the cold.

"Come on, we need to go back to the train."

We get ready for bed. "I'm kind of happy."

"Why are you happy?" Peeta asks with a look that says 'are you crazy?'

"We are getting married," I say, showing him my ring finger.

"Oh, I completely forgot about that," Peeta is sarcastic when he says it. I just roll my eyes at my idiot. We both climb into bed and Peeta wraps his arms around me.

"I know that it probably isn't the perfect time, but I figured we will have to at some point, so it might as well play to our favor. Plus I wanted to do anyway." Peeta says with a smirk.

"Our mothers can get over their timings, Goodnight Peeta." It's hard to believe a year ago; I barely knew a thing about Peeta Mellark. Now I'm soon to be Katniss Mellark. I didn't even want a boyfriend last year. The only reason I have one is that I realized I wasn't faking, and there was no use in hiding it if we were going to have to fake it till we die anyway.

I wake up having slept peacefully. Peeta is already staring at me, noticing I've woken up, and confirms my thoughts.

"No nightmares," he says smiling.

"No nightmares," I smile back.

"I was following a Mockingjay, but it was Rue. I mean it had her voice. I never got where she was taking me, but I was happy," I say.

"You slept like you were happy," he says.

"I'm just glad I didn't have any nightmares," I respond happily.

"You scare me any time you have a nightmare. I hear you scream and imagine the worst possible case." Peeta says, pulling me closer. I can't believe I've grumbled about how much sleep I'm missing and never realized Peeta misses more when his nightmares are added as well. I'm so selfish.

"You should wake me up when you have a nightmare," I say.

"That's not necessary my nightmares are about losing you. Once I realize you're here, I'm fine." Peeta says. I don't know if I could love him more.

I kiss him.

We get up a couple of minutes later and eat breakfast. Around noon we are pulling into the District 12 train station. Our dinner will be at the mayor's house, then after dinner, we celebrate with the town. I'm in a white dress that is very pretty to Madge's standards but to me looks like a white dress. She's the one who gave me the Mockingjay pin after all.

I tried to return the pin, but she claimed it was a gift. I put my head into the mayor's study to say hello, but he isn't there. The TV beeps, and across the screen, it says an update from District 8, and on it, there are people chucking bricks at the Peacekeepers. I don't know much, but this is what President Snow calls a rebellion.

Thanks for reading!!

~K.D. Howell