A/N: I got all three of the Hunger Games books from Amazon on Saturday and finished them on Tuesday … and now I'm completely obsessed with them! I can't wait for the movie (can anyone?) and so I've been watching/listening to anything to do with the movie. When I heard the Taylor Swift song that is going to be in the movie, I knew I had to write a story about it. This takes place in the cave, during one of the nights they spend there before Peeta's infection in his leg is healed. Oh, also, I would like to mention that with this story, I have finished my notebook! You see, every single story that I post on fanfiction is first written in my blue notebook - I never post a story without writing it in my notebook first. With this story, I used the very last page! Now, to retire my faithful notebook, and begin writing in the new one that waits for me in my room!

Disclaimer: Big, big, big disclaimer! The author of this little piece does not own the Hunger Games, but she should consider herself honored to be able to play with citizens of the great Panem! It's all so exciting! Also, she does not own any of the lyrics from the song below which is called "Safe & Sound", and is presumably owned by the tribute worthy Taylor Swift and the Civil Wars. Hmmm … I wonder if I could represent them in the Games sometime … ~ Effie Trinket

Safe & Sound

I stare at the entrance to our cave, my eyes as alert and my muscles as tense as they can be in my exhausted state. I want nothing more than to lay back and fall asleep in Peeta's arms while he watches over me, but someone's got to keep watch and it's not going to be Peeta considering the state he's in. I sigh and shift around, trying to settle into a more comfortable position on this rocky, chilled cave floor. Another uneventful hour passes and I have nearly drifted off when I am woken by a soft, anguished moan that emanates from my sleeping companion.

I quickly turn to him to see if I can help him – he must have woken up and been assaulted by the pain from his injury. But then I see that he is still asleep. I start to turn back to the entrance of our cave when an even more anguished moan escapes his lips.

I need to wake him up – to find out how much pain he is in, what exactly is hurting, and what I can try to do about it. So, I begin to call Peeta's name out, softly, at first, then louder when he doesn't awaken. I try shaking him, but this fails as well. I don't know what to do and begin to panic.

Peeta's face glistens with sweat, yet he is shivering and is deathly pale. I realize that the reason I can't wake him is that he is close to death and I panic all the more. I beat his chest and scream out his name, tears falling down my cheeks, not caring if anyone hears me – what will it matter if I lose him?

I wake in the middle of the night to find that Katniss is no longer by my side and I can not see her anywhere. I call out to her, weakly, a few times, but I hear no reply. I begin to worry – where can she possibly be?

I am worried enough that despite me barely being able to put weight on my left leg, I haul myself up and manage to get outside our cave (although, not without going through agony).

I call Katniss' name out again, desperation creeping into my voice. I fear for her – my love. Where is she?

That's when I notice something golden out of the corner of my left eye. Interested, I hobble over to see what it is, only to find something so terrifying, it causes me to start screaming Katniss' name. It's her mockingjay pin – her district token. And it's broken. The delicate pin piece has snapped off and a scrap of black fabric is caught on the little arrow.

Perhaps in answer to my calls, Katniss comes running out of the forest. But something is dreadfully wrong. She lacks her usual grace, and is stumbling and crashing into things.

I begin hobbling to her as fast as I can, ignoring my own agony. As I get closer, I can see the cause of her distress – her skull has been crushed by a terrible blow. There is no blood, but one look at the dent in her head tells me she's done. Yet I don't want to believe it – I don't let myself believe it. How can I when my world would end without her?

Right before I reach her, her eyes roll up into her head, and she pitches forward into me, sending us both to the ground.

"Peeta," she whispers.

I maneuver myself so that her head rests on my lap and murmur, "I'm here."

But she doesn't reply.

"I'm here," I repeat slightly frantically.

But still, there is no answer.

I notice, then, that her chest has stopped moving and I quickly grab her slim wrist to check her pulse – there is none. My beautiful Katniss is gone.

Up until now, I have felt rather numb. I knew what was happening, was scared, and felt pain, but it's not until now that it really hit's me – she's gone, forever.

A wave of agony hits me, making it impossible to breathe, and I know that it is not coming from the wound in my leg.

"No!" I scream out, and lean down to kiss my Katniss' lips once, twice, three times, trying to wake her up even though I know that it's fruitless.

"NO!" I scream out even louder as I take in her cold face, peaceful finally in death, and I weep.

Then, all of a sudden, her body disappears from my arms. I jump up, looking around for her, completely bewildered, only to be brought back down by the agony from my leg (which I have abused since I got up). Yet, I am able to force myself up again, being careful of my leg, and ignore the unbelievable pain. What is it compared to that of losing Katniss?

"Katniss!" I call out. Perhaps the fact that she just disappeared from my arms proves that I just imagined the whole thing that just happened, and if so, Katniss might still be out there somewhere.

I am right. "Peeta!" she screams out to me in terror.

Fear clutches my heart as I move as quickly as I am able in the direction of her scream. Then I sigh with relief as I see her come out of the trees, completely unscathed and smiling when she sees my face. She must have been worried too.

"Don't scare me like that," I begin, only to be stopped short by the sight of a knife flying out of the trees and impaling Katniss in the throat. I stand frozen for a moment, as if I had been the one impaled. Then, the pain of losing Katniss that had just began to leave me assaults me all over again.

"Katniss!" I scream. I reach her just in time for her to die in my arms, again, and I rock her back and forth, kissing her hair, her nose, calling out for someone to please bring her back.

I don't expect my desperate request to be complied with, but it is. She disappears from my arms and reappears, walking out of a different part of the forest. I am confused until I look down and see that Katniss' blood still covers me. Then, I know what is going on.

The Gamemakers have found a way to kill Katniss, raise her up, and kill her again and again and again while I watch.

They have found a way to break me.

"Katniss!"

Peeta's call for me breaks through my panic and I grab his hand.

"I'm here, Peeta. I'm here," I say.

The only response I get is another moan and then another call for me. I feel relief and pain as I finally realize what is wrong – relief as I realize that Peeta is not dying and pain as I realize that he is trapped in that place of terrors, the land of nightmares.

I try harder to wake him up because he is obviously terrified and in agony, but it seems that my doing so only sinks him farther into his nightmare. What am I going to do? I've never had to comfort someone pulled this deeply into a dream. I am lost.

Wait- lost! When I was a child, I had dreams of being lost in a barren wasteland, all alone. That was all they were – me being lost – but they were terrifying and no one could wake me from them. The only thing that helped was when my father sang to me. His voice would soothe me in my dream and eventually, I would wake up on my own.

I haven't sung in years – I don't usually see the use for it – but I've got to see if singing will help now. I can't continue watching Peeta go through this.

So, I begin to sing.

I have seen Katniss die dozens of times tonight. My leg gave out long ago and I've had to crawl around to each of Katniss' death places. I should have died hours ago from loss of blood, but I'm still alive. Why am I not dead? Because if I was dead, the Capitol couldn't hurt me anymore.

Each time I crawl to Katniss' body, now, I know what awaits me – her last breath in my arms before the cycle starts all over again. Yet I can't tear myself away. I can't allow myself to sit still and just ignore her because I couldn't bear it if I wasn't there to hold her hand each and every time – I couldn't bear it if she died alone.

I know that I am causing irreparable psychological and physical damage to myself by doing this, but honestly, who cares? I won't have a life after this anyway. All I want now is to die so that this torment will end.

I see Katniss come out of the trees again. She takes two steps and then falls just as she has so many times before. Wait, not just as she has so many times before – something is different! I push myself even harder and when I reach Katniss and pull her into my arms, she looks as though she is just sleeping, not dying.

I feel a faint stirring of hope – perhaps they will just let her live this time!

"No," Katniss murmurs as if she is answering my question. Then I realize that somehow, she is."I'm sorry, Peeta."

And I know that she is right - she is dying. I can see it in her eyes. I begin to cry again – losing Katniss hurts worse each time and this time, the pain is tenfold because I had hope-

"Peeta," Katniss croons softly as she holds the side of my face with her hand. She tries to console me, but how can I be consoled?

I close my eyes, overcome with grief, but a sweet voice pokes through my darkness.

"I remember tears streaming down your face

When I said, 'I'll never let you go'

When all those shadows almost killed your light.

I remember you said, 'Don't leave me here alone'

But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight ..."

I open my eyes to look at the beautiful girl who is singing to me even though she's the one dying. She's the one in agony and she's trying to give me peace.

"Just close your eyes

The sun is going down.

You'll be alright

No one can hurt you now.

Come morning light

You and I'll be safe and sound ..."

I watch as Katniss closes her eyes and continues to sing to me. But she's fading and, with a sense of peace, I realize that I am too. I lay next to her with my arms wrapped around her.

"Just close your eyes ..."

I do.

"You'll be alright ..."

I am, now.

"Come morning light

You and I'll be safe and sound ..."

I see the lines on Peeta's face finally smooth out as I sing. He begins to look peaceful and I smile.

I begin stroking his forehead and he opens his eyes.

"Katniss," he gasps, like someone who's been deprived of air. I can tell that he needs comforting and needs to touch me so I'm not surprised when he tries to sit up so that he can hold me. However, he is too weak to do so, so I lay down with him.

"I lost you," he says in a shuddering voice. "Over and over.

"Shh … it's alright now," I promise, tears in my eyes. "Just sleep."

He shakes his head frantically. "I- I can't go through that again. I-"

"I promise – it's going to be alright. I won't let the nightmares come back." It's the least I can do, I add silently.

I begin to sing again, picking up from the middle of the lullaby, confident that at least in this I can save him.

"Don't you dare look out you window

Darling, everything's on fire.

The war outside our door keeps raging on.

Hold on to this lullaby even when the music's gone.

Gone."

Peeta's eyes are closed now and he's breathing evenly, a small smile on his face. He's deep in a peaceful sleep, but I don't stop singing for fear that the nightmares will again invade his mind.

It occurs to me, in the back of my mind, that if Haymitch is looking for a performance to prove my love, I just gave the performance of a lifetime.

It occurs to me, in the depths of my heart, that perhaps this hasn't been a performance at all.

"Just close your eyes

The sun is going down.

You'll be alright

No one can hurt you now.

Come morning light

You and I'll be safe and sound ..."

A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this. By the way, this is the first thing I've written for the Hunger Games (I'm more at home with Doctor Who). Also, I have never written in the present tense nor the first person before. So, this entire story has really been an exercise in expanding my capabilities for me. Please review and may the odds be ever in your favor!