Summary :

What if Coin convinced Haymitch, Plutarch and the tributes to save Peeta intead of Katniss during the Quarter Quell? What would happen?

" But Katniss... This is Peeta! You know him... He wouldn't do that! "
" Oh yeah, I know him. I do. He totally would. "

She laughed and turned away from Haymitch.

Chapter 42 : Are you coming to the tree?

" It's over, " Katniss repeated, crouching in front of Peeta.

The blond was shaking his head eratically, muttering some unintelligible words, blood dripping from his hands.
Katniss took her backpack and opened it, searching for a cloth, ended up using one of her undershirts.
She took a water bottle as well, and poured a large quantity on the top while Peeta's fingers released his knife, a metallic noise harassing their ears.

The mockingjay took a deep breath, " You did good, " she told Peeta as she gently started rubbing his hands with the wet piece of clothing.

Blue eyes looked up at her, lips quivering uncontrollably as the tension slowly left the ex-tribute's body. " Did I really? " he asked, his voice almost inaudible.

She nodded, insisting on the boy's knuckles and nails where the black liquid got stuck, started to dry, " I promise. "
Peeta inhaled through his nose, his nostrils flaring, " What if they were just desperate because of what they were? "
Katniss stopped the movements of her hands, stared at him, " That doesn't change the fact that they wanted us dead. "

After that Peeta didn't say a word, and stared at Finnick, sitting in front of him.

It made him calm down considerately, arms falling down along his sides as Katniss still worked on cleaning his hands.

The blond looked at her, the girl that wanted him dead a couple days earlier, that fought against her own mind just to give him a second chance.
Peeta felt like he didn't deserve so much, Katniss probably would've been just fine if he wasn't a part of her memories and past anymore. He was glad she acknowledged him again though, he wouldn't dare complaining.

Someone coughing brought him back to reality, and he blinked repeatedly, searching for the source of the noise.
It was Finnick, that seemed to have trouble getting oxygen in his system, his face red just like veiny neck.

He looked as if he was experiencing a silent argument in his head, mumbling and frowning. When the blond saw his friend reach inside of his bag and retrieve a piece of rope, a weight drifted in his stomach.

This boy had always been there for him, even when he was the one needing help. His generosity was a rare thing, especially from someone that was supposed to kill him in an advertisement show called " The Hunger Games".
Still, Finnick never failed to stand up for him, defended him from everyone, always ready to lend a frendly hand.

Peeta shifted his attention back on Katniss, that was busy cleaning him up, " I think I can handle it from there, thank you. "

The girl showed a little smile, and let herself sit on the sidewalk, drinking from the bottle she used previously. She emptied it in her hands and drenched her face, rubbing the exhaustion away.

Members of the squad stood there, in the middle of the street, halfway through the Capitol, in shock. Nobody knew when the time would come for them to start walking again, to keep this expedition going.
None of them was ready for that, nor for whatever was next.

/ / /

Once he had precautiously removed every trace of the black liquid on his hands and forearms, Peeta got up, his thighs shaken by spasms, and made his way to Finnick.

" Hey buddy, " he gently said, without any ounce of happiness in voice.

The boy settled his fresh cleaned hands on Finnick's shoulders, and kneeled in front of him. But hands were still knotting, tying and untying relentlessly, showing no mercy for the ex-tribute's wounded knuckles.

Peeta bent forwards, grabbing Finnick's left arm with strength, " Finnick buddy, " he gently said. " Look at me. "

His blue eyes were red from crying so much, awfully matching the color of the blood on his fingers.

He was thinking about Annie, about how there was more chances for him to die than to come back to her. And it was torturing his mind, unforgivably crushing his hopes to shreds.

" Take deep breaths, " Peeta instructed, rubbing his friend's tense upper back and arms.
Finnick chuckled, but there was no joy in his voice, " What if you were right? " he stated more than asked. " What if we don't make it out alive? "

Peeta bit the inside of his cheeks, massaging the junction between his neck and shoulder. Being frightened by that idea himself, he was in no position to tell him wrong.

It took him a while to find the right words, " We got further that I expected, " his voice was calm and low, almost soothering. " And we'll keep going until the end. "
Finnick sniffed loudly, finally meeting Peeta's glance, " Do you truly believe in what you just said? "

And Peeta couldn't confirm this, there were lots of traps on their way, awaiting for someone to trigger it.

He gave a strong nod, fingers rubbing circles on Finnick's tense muscles.

/ / /

Paylor was leading the way, after Coin instructed her to take Bogg's pending position as a group leader.
The formation progressed very prudently, and therefore, slower than before the sewer episode. They lost three members in a dozen of minutes, and the remaining ones' mental health had gotten a severe hit.

" Thank you for earlier, " Finnick told Peeta, making his trident roll between his trembling fingers.
The older boy gave a weak smile, " You're welcome. "

There were few exchanging of words as the squad kept walking through the empty streets surrounding the Capitol.
Not a single human life seemed to be present, except theirs and a couple crows and pigeons fluttering their wings above their heads.

" It's so quiet, " Peeta breathed out. " You'd almost think it's peaceful. "
Finnick pouted, " If it wasn't for all those sounds the Holo makes. "

Paylor had retrieved the tool from Coin's secondhand's agonizin body, and the two ex-tributes walked right beside her.
The machine produced a light sound every time it detected a new ambush, and made their pace even more gradual.

" I've got a call from Beetee, let's have a short break, " the fight-advisor instructed, instantly pushing on her earpiece to understand the engineer's rushed words.

Katniss settled on the pavement next to Gale, " Are you alright? " she asked, genuine concern in her voice. " I know what you had to do. "
Her best friend sounded a hundred years old when he replied " Killing Boggs you mean? ". He extended his legs in front of him, stared at his feet, " It was better than to leave him to these... things. "

That totally made sense, but having to push the trigger in front of an ally was something that required a lot of strength.
Katniss never doubted Gale's potential, but she couldn't help worrying about the feelings he kept personal most of the time.

Opening his backback, Gale turned to her, " What about you? "
" What do you mean? " Katniss replied, accepting the piece of dried apple he offered her. " I'm as shocked as everyone else, but I'm okay. "
Gale shook his head, chewing, " These creatures were clearly after you. "

She bit into the fruit, finding the flavour almost too sweet.

Snow undoubtedly knew they were close to reaching him, and the surprise effect they hoped they'd still have was most likely gone with that.
It didn't matter if she was the main target, she came to accept that. What bothered her was that her presence in the group endangered it.

" It sure was terrifying at the moment, " Katniss admitted after swallowing her quarter of apple. " And now I realize it means that Snow knows we're coming for his head. "
Gale cackled, " There was no way he didn't aprehend a raid from the rebels Catnip, " he laughed, throwing a couple a dried raisins in his mouth. " He might be evil, but he's not stupid. "

/ / /

Paylor was done talking with District 13's engineer, and explained to the rest of the squad that the next two miles were going to be difficult.
Apparently, Snow had ordered some of his subordinates to install more death traps, which was going to slow the group's progression significantly.

She wiped her sweaty forehead with her sleeve, " I know that all of us are still frightened by this morning's events, but this mission has to continue, " she stated in a firm voice. " Let's get this done soldiers. "

The members stood up and followed her careful steps towards Snow's residence, still a couple days ahead of them.

Finnick yawned, stretching his arms above his head, " I feel like we've been awake for weeks, " he sighed, handing his trident to his friend.
Peeta accepted the weapon, retracted it, " Or trapped into some sort of fictional parallel universe. "
The older boy curved an eyebrow at that, " Do you mean Hell? "

It had been a while since it last happened, but the two ex-tributes broke into a genuine laughter, almost too loudly for the situation they were in. Peeta grabbed Finnick's shoulder as his body bent forward, making his walk pattern less straight and regular.

Mitchel and Homes gave them a side look, not quite understanding how this exchange even got close to be funny.

But they didn't care, the odds of them dying in the next days were high, so they figured they'd at least try to make them count.

/ / /

The end of the morning had been quiet and slow-paced, without any major trouble. Paylor gave the squad hald an hour to eat and rest.

Katniss and Gale had joined Peeta and Finnick, all feasting over green beans and cooked mushrooms.

" How long until we reach that shop? " Finnick asked, pushing his fork inside a can.
Gale pulled out his paper map, chewing and frowning seriously, " If we keep this rhythm up, I guess we could get there in two days. "
" Which day is it anyway? " Katniss asked, rubbing her sore ankle above her uniform.
Finnick shrugged, " I honestly have no idea, I lost all sense of time with this mission. "

Peeta kept eating quietly, tiredness suddenly hitting him all over his body. The stiffness of his back and shoulders was extending to his limbs, but he didn't dare complaining. At least, he was still breathing and healthy.

Once he reached the bottom of his own can of beans, he lied on his back, his arms flat by his sides, looking up at the large grey clouds in the sky.

" I think it might rain soon, " he muttered under his breath, closing his weary eyes.

He could still hear his companions' voices as he heplessly drifted into sleep.

Katniss made a sound close to a giggle, " It's tempting to join him in his nap time, " she stated. " I might give it a go. "
Gale put his map back in the inside pocket of his jacket, " Then do it quick, barely twenty minutes left. "

/ / /

The journey in the border of the Capitol continued, Paylor constantly frowning and checking the Holo.
The air was humid and heavy, turned out Peeta was correct and that a storm was coming, wind whistling against the stones of the empty houses of the area they walked through.

Cornering a trap that Boggs had told Paylor about, the members of the squad followed her steps quietly, eager to get this mission done.

It wasn't necessarily walking all day long that was tiring, but the constant fear of being pierced with a lethal weapon hidden along the streets.
Knowing that each step could be their last was a tremendous weight on the soldiers' shoulders and mind.

First drops of rain started pouring, and within a couple minutes, it became heavy, blinding the group's vision.

" I know this isn't easy, " Paylor shouted over the sound of grounding thunder, " But we have to make more progress, we've lost enough time today! "

The sand below Peeta's feet was soaked and a dark shade of grey, sticking to his boots. He could barely see further than Pollux, walking right in front of him, so he strated jogging.

Lightning stroke to their right, " Please follow each other up close, " Paylor instructed, a hand over her eyes. " I swear we're close to a refuge! "

She was glad Beetee's invention was waterproof, but the blue hologram was barely visible in this deluge.
Squinting, she turned left at an intersection, walking in the middle of the sidewalk.

" We'll get there faster if we take a detour, seems like there are close to no traps this way, " Paylor explained, her voice breaking.

The group formed a more compact formation, allowing the speed of their deplacements to increase significantly.
Peeta kept his eyes glued to whoever's backback was right in front of him, and jogged next to Finnick and Jackson.

/ / /

The second they knocked on the door of the shelter, it opened, a couple inviting them in instantly.

" Oh my, you're drenched, " the woman cried out, handing Paylor and Gale some towels. " Please make yourself comfortable. "
Her husband stepped in front of her, " Where is Boggs? " he asked, hints of impatience in his voice.

Silence hang in the entrance of the house for a while, the sound of drops of water hitting the ground the only thing disturbing it.

" He died this morning, " Paylor finally announced, bowing her head formally. " We lost him to some creatures in the sewers. "

The man mouthed 'mutts' before taking a step back, staggering slightly.

Paylor cleared her throat, " My deepest condoleances, I'm sorry. "

It appeared that this man used to go to school with Boggs, and even shared a job with him before the revolution started.
He talked with the fight assistant, shared a cup of warm tea with her as well.

Peeta rubbed his head with his towel, a knot forming in his stomach.

He wasn't close to Coin's secondhand, nor to Leeg 1 or Leeg 2, he couldn't even remember hearing their full names. But it occured to him that their deaths would affect innocent people.

A hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality, " Hey, there's tea and coffee, " Finnick told him. " Let's have some before it gets cold. "
He followed his friend to the living room, feeling dizzy, " Yeah, sorry, I was somewhere else. "
Finnick gave a faint smile, retrieving a cup of coffee, " Now's not the time to apologize, now's the time to drink. "

There was an ache in Peeta's chest, stirring him from the inside right between his lungs. So when the warmth of the tea found his throat, he practically purred in relief, feeling the tension in his back unravel.

He walked towards a couch where he dropped heavily, barely managing to keep the liquid in the mug he was holding.
Finnick joined him, sighing, his shoulders relaxing as they found the back of the sofa.

Peeta had slightly burnt his tongue, and blew on the fuming tea gently, sending small waves crashing against the round edges. His fingers recovered a normal color, further from blue and closer to his skin tone.

" Tomorrow's going to be tough on us, " Finnick stated to his right, extending his legs while groaning. " Paylor is going to make us cover as many distance as possible. "
The younger victor gave a single nod, " She sure will, so we better get some good rest tonight, " he replied before taking a huge sip from his cup.

They made little conversation until dinner time, where they feasted over cooked potatoes, carots and chicken.

It felt as if they pushed an invisible pause button, all gathered around a cosy table decorated with candles and bouquets of fake flowers. Even eating meat felt like a normal thing as every person avoided mentioning the revolution or anything similar to it.

The host brought a bottle of liquor, probably convinced that most of his guests wouldn't have the chance to taste it again, and poured some in each and every glass on the table.

" To the future, " he claimed, lifting his own glass, a sad smile on his chapped lips.

The voices of the dozen of squad members echoed his, and it made a shiver run down Peeta's back.

/ / /

Another bottle of liquor, a less fancy one, had been opened.

Homes and Jackson started dancing at some point, to a soundless music that might have been playing in their inhibited brains.

Peeta watched them swirling clumsily on the carpet of the living room, his own glass still half full in his hand. He had been drunk once with Haymitch, and knew better than to swallow his liquor quickly. There was no way he'd let himself feel as bad as he did that time, especially in the Capitol.

His eyes found Katniss, sitting between Gale's legs, on the floor as he massaged her shoulders, crouching from the chair he was on. There was an hint of redness on her plump cheeks, and in the dim lightning, her grey eyes looked even clearer.

" Are you, are you, coming to the tree? " she hummed to herself, bobbling her head faintly. " Where they strung up a man, they said who murdered three. "

The blond lost his train of thoughts, his mouth opening as he stopped moving, his glass halfway between his mouth and his lap.

He remembered his father telling him about Katniss' mother's voice, how entrancing it was. If she was even remotively close to having the same as her daughter's, it didn't surprise him that he fell in love instantly.
It occured to him that he wasn't the only one captivated by the brunette, but his vision was blurry, except for her.

" No stranger would it be, " she sang more distincly, " If we met, at midnight in the hanging tree. "

The dancers were staring down at her, in a weird position, hands still linked, focused on appreciating the soft melody engulfing the room.

Peeta's hand started shaking, and he settled his glass down on the floor in urgence, his heart pounding with force, his pulse reaching his temples.

Katniss closed her eyes, " Are you, are you, coming to the tree? Where a dead man called out, for his love to flee. "

Peeta heard muffled sobbing sounds, and realized Finnick was crying, fingers trembling against his mouth.
The blond rubbed his back, unable to break the silence that surrounded Katniss' caressing tune to comfort him verbally.

" Strange things did happen here no stranger would it be, if we met, at midnight in the hanging tree. "

/ / /

Cressida had been the only person to not be hypnothized by Katniss' voice, pointing a camera towards the mockingjay, softly walking around the room to get a better angle.

She was putting the heavy object in her backback, as the atmosphere in the shelter carefully turned back to normal.

Peeta felt like he had been listening to the brunette singing for hours, but it felt as if he didn't get enough. Her soothing notes had pushed every question troubling his mind aside for a while, allowing him to feel more peaceful than he had been in years.

Still rubbing his friend's back, he couldn't take his eyes away from Katniss, that was drinking her liquor as if nothing happened.
His stare travelled down her body, and he realized she was massaging her hurt ankle with her available hand, thumb applying pressure in small circles.

" Are you okay? " he finally managed to enunciate, still looking at Katniss.
Finnick made a vague hand gesture, " I am. " His voice was quivering, but as calm as it ever was. " This was ethereal, " he added, trying a smile. " I wish Annie could've witnessed it as well. "

Peeta bit the inside of his cheeks, grabbing his arm. There were no words he felt like he could use to reply to that, none that could be comforting without being too hopeful.
The weight of death was constantly hanging above their heads, and he didn't have the strength, nor the courage, to make his friend more insecure.

Finnick cleared his throat, patted Peeta's hand and finished his glass, " She will definitely hear that, " he stated, wiping his mouth.
Cressida's soft voice came out of nowhere, " I taped it, and I'll make sure the footage reaches District 13 my dawn. "

The ex tribute looked up at her, and thanked her profusely, joining his hands together and bowing his head ceremonially, a grin extending on his lips.

Peeta got up, leaving the two to their own conversation about the filmmaker's gears and connection with the District.

He settled down in front of Katniss, " Your voice is beautiful, " were the only words he could find.
She smiled, putting some bangs behind her ears, " Thank you, " she simply answered, still massaging her foot.
" Does it still hurt? " Peeta asked, frowning seriously. " I still have some cream in my bag if you need some. "

/ / /

Peeta had climbed upstairs and settled for a simple bunk in a large room. He undressed and realized their hosts had provided each bed with a basin full of clean water and a bar of soap.

Sighing in relief, he grabbed the small piece of tissue that went along with the package and plundged it in the water.
He rubbed the dirt and sweat off his tired and greasy body, through his hair before grabbing the soap.

It felt like a new page of his life, and they weren't close to Snow's mansion yet. There was a chance he wouldn't make it until the end, but he was willing to do everything he could to try.
Fighting was a thing he loathed, a thing he had been avoiding for as long as he could remember, and even when violence seemed like the easier solution, he always tried to find another one.

There were still some nights filled with nightmares of the people he had been forced to kill, he couldn't escape the realization that he was in fact, a murderer.
This thought never failed to keep him awake, too frightened to relive the monstruosity he had been a part of if he drifted into sleep.

Washing the soap away, he glared at his prothesis, and hated how grey and reflective it was, how inhuman it made his entire body look.
He couldn't deny that he was glad to be able to walk, unlike a lot of bruised habitants of Panem that had to build some sort of wheelchair to stay mobile.
But he still disliked this part of his appearance, and the lack of flesh at the end of his leg.

Slipping through a clean black tank top and a pair of new boxers, he limped towards the window to hang the piece of cloth to dry, and walked back to his bed.

The sheets were soft and smelled like a field of fresh grass sprinkled with a flowery hint to it.

He could still hear the sounds of cuttlery and muffled conversation coming from below as he fell asleep.

/ / /

" Peeta, " someone whispered awfully close to his hear. " Come on, wake up. "

He groaned, covering his head with his pillow, tempted by a lie in.

A sigh made him quirk an eye open, " You have to wake up, " the voice insisted, louder than before. " Time to walk around in this quiet neighbourhood. "

The blond yawned, stretching his arms above his head and hitting the headboard with a low sound that seemed to resonate through the walls.

He suddenly sat up, and settled his feet on the floor. Breathing heavily through his nose, he looked up, " Katniss? "
She rolled her eyes, braiding her hair as she started to walk backwards, " I'll be waiting for you downstairs, " she told him before turning on her heels.

Peeta apparently hadn't been awake long enough to hear about the guards' turns.

He got in his uniform and saluted Pollux and Jackson when he ran into them in the staircase.

Katniss was sat at the table, eating a piece of bread, twirling a spoon in a cup of tea, " You took your time, " she gently said.
Peeta took the chair next to hers, and accepted the breakfast the host offered him, " Thank you. "

The woman got back to washing the previous night's dishes, eventually glaring at the window in front of the sink, at the sun slowly lighting up the roofs of the deserted area where she lived.

" How do you deal with living here? " Katniss asked, retrieving the tea bag from the cup. " I imagine it must be difficult to stay invisible. "
The dark-skinned woman turned around, her hands covered in soap, " My husband and I used to live in District 11, " her voice was hoarse and throaty, but steady, " We lost our little angel four months ago, " she stated, looking down at her apron.
Katniss settled her bread down on the table, " What happened? "

There was a long moment of silence during which Peeta didn't dare chewing his mouthful of toast.

" She had been sick her whole short life, she never stopped coughing and constantly had raging fevers," she continued, wiping her fingers on a towel. " Yet we still thought she could make it a bit longer, a couple years perhaps. But we couldn't afford any medicine. "

Peeta swallowed, straightening up on his chair, making it creak under his weight.
He had heard so many stories like that when he worked in the bakery. About these families in other Districts losing their children before they were even old enough to be picked for the Games.

" I lost a part of me when she left us, and we are still mourning her loss today, " she grabbed the counter behind her, her lips trembling spasmodically. " But Daman and I refused to simply stay quiet about the Capitol's responsability in her death. "

She let out a shaky breath, lifting her chin to look at the two ex-tributes, and Peeta could feel the pain in her brown eyes as if they had a mind of their own.

" We have never been skilled at anything but helping people back in 11, so secondhand Boggs granted us a spot as shelter providers, " she added, on the edge of tears. " It's actually okay in here, we have food and a place to sleep in, " her voice was higher with every syllable. " And Daman and I both needed a purpose, something to keep our minds off the horror surrounding all of Panem. "

Katniss got up, and Peeta followed her moves quietly. She grabbed the woman's hands and held hem tightly in hers.

" Thank you for accepting us in your shelter, " she gently said, rubbing circles on the woman's skin. " I'm sorry for your daughter, and I will make Snow pay for what he did, I swear I will. "

/ / /

NDA :
I'm sorry for how late I am.
And I know this one isn't especially long nor filled with action, but I'm drowning in essays to hand and notes to re-write for college and can't afford to spend too much time on this fiction.

Nonetheless, I am willing to update this story more frequently, but can't guarantee regularity in the rhythm of further publication.

Hope you enjoyed it, see you in the next chapter,
Bisous.