The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Thank you to my dearest beta, Chelzie because she is the BEST.

Three Minutes

By JLaLa

5:00pm

"You can't take him! He's too young!" Effie's cries reverberated through the creaky, worn house.

He was leaving tonight.

"He's fifteen, Effie," Snow responded tersely from the bottom of the stairs where the old man stood with his foster parents. He looked up and met Peeta's frosty blue eyes.

"He's old enough to work—you can only afford three now in your little home and you have one more coming in tonight."

"Damn it, Snow!" Haymitch barreled towards the man. "Give us one last night with the kid! He's been with us for FIVE years! You just took Johanna two weeks ago!"

"An hour, Abernathy." The room chilled considerably despite the fact that it had been a humid afternoon. "I'll be back for the boy in ONE hour."

Turning and ripping the front door open, Snow slammed it behind him, causing a shower of dust to fall from the ceiling.

Downstairs, Haymitch looked up at Peeta as he held his crying wife. He nodded back at the older man, knowing that he was asking him to be strong for the two other girls.

Peeta turned to Katniss, his best friend, and placed a hand over hers—her hand had turned white from gripping the railing so tightly.

Behind them, Annie whimpered against the wall. She was scared—as they all were.

One by one, they were taken from the only home that they knew or wanted to know.

Two months ago, Gale was taken from them and sent off to some coal mining job.

Then Finnick was sent to the Capitol—he was the handsome one, so they knew what would happen to him.

They were surprised when Johanna was sent to the same place. Much to Effie's relief, Johanna had qualified for a technology program and was doing well.

At least that's what Snow reported.

But what would happen to him?

"Peeta..."

Katniss' husky voice pulled him away from his thoughts. Her somber grey eyes reflected his and he instinctively cupped her cheek. She leaned into his touch and her dark braided hair brushed against his arm.

"Take care of Annie," he told her. "She needs you right now. I have to pack."

"But—"

"You will get my last three minutes," Peeta assured her. "I promise."

5:30pm

"Don't forget your vitamins," Effie told him as she folded the last of his clothes to put into the small rucksack on his bed.

She handed him the supplement bottle and he quickly added it to the bag before turning to her again.

His foster mother wrung her hands nervously and Peeta could see that she was trying to hold it together. However, her loose blond ponytail was beginning to fall because of her trembling.

Peeta reached for her and pulled her close. He barely reached her stomach when he first came to them.

Now he could put his head on her shoulder—so Peeta did just that.

"I'm going to be okay," he reassured her.

She pulled away and smiled through her tears. Effie was the only mother he had ever known—or wanted to know.

His real mother had wanted him dead. Small fragments of his childhood still clung to him sometimes. On rainy days, his left wrist ached because it was where his mother had cuffed him to his bed.

"You know I love you, right?" Effie lifted his chin and he nodded. "I swear that you could've been my son."

"I am your son," he replied. "Your favorite, but don't worry—I never told Gale or Finnick that."

She chuckled and patted his cheek. "Good boy." Effie sat on the empty bed next to him, which had been Gale's. "Do you need anything else?"

Peeta took a deep breath before replying. "I need my last three minutes to be with Katniss. I promised her."

Effie looked at him for a moment before nodding. "You've been sweet on her for a long time."

"More than sweet on her," Peeta responded. "I love her."

"That's a big word, honey," Effie told him. "And if you tell her that—I think you might just break her heart."

He gave her a sad smile. "She wouldn't believe me if I told her."

5:45pm

"Eat your sandwich, Peeta," Haymitch said as he sat on what used to be Finnick's bed. The older man held out the plate containing a sliced ham sandwich that Annie had made for him as a goodbye. The tiny girl was never good with expressing her feelings, so she said goodbye the only way she could.

Peeta sat on his bed and took half, leaving the other one for his foster father. Haymitch eyed him before taking the offered half and biting into it hungrily.

"Annie makes a damn good sandwich," Haymitch said after swallowing.

"Makes me think that she's put something in it," he responded with a grin.

"Wouldn't surprise me." Haymitch took one more bite and then placed it back on the plate. "Effie told me that you wanted your last three minutes here to be with Katniss." He leaned forward. "Is there anything that you have questions about?"

"Trust me," Peeta told him. "It's only three minutes."

"Three minutes is all it takes," his foster father responded tersely. "I can't have you leaving her with a little goodbye present. She's been through enough—just like the rest of you."

"You really love us, don't you?" Peeta asked, trying to bait the man into the admitting what they both already knew.

"I just want to make sure that you're all going to be okay," Haymitch told him.

"I'll find my way." He stood up and sat next to Haymitch. "I know I'm not brilliant, but you and Effie have taught me everything I need."

Haymitch looked down for a moment. When he looked at Peeta again, there was tremble in the way he looked at the younger man.

"You're a good bo—you're a good man, Peeta." Haymitch stood up. "It's getting to the end; I'm going to give you a few minutes to yourself."

He made his way to the door before turning to Peeta one last time. "Be good to her."

5:55pm

She considered turning around and leaving.

Katniss smoothed down the long nightshirt that she wore and gripped the familiar pin in her palm. Quickly, she decided to undo her braid and ripped the elastic off the tip of her hair while running her fingers through her waves.

Why was she so nervous? It was just Peeta.

Lately, however, there was something else happening inside her. A stirring that seemed to increase whenever she stared at his blond lashes for too long.

It seemed to be getting bigger and sometimes at night, she found her hands wandering downwards.

"Katniss?"

She whipped around to find Annie standing near, her green eyes glowing in the dim hallway.

Approaching her, Annie pulled out a small bottle filled with a clear liquid. Removing the stopper from the bottle, Annie dipped her finger in. Then after closing the bottle, she placed her finger behind Katniss' right ear then to the left.

Katniss sniffed into the air and then looked to her friend. "I don't smell anything."

Annie shook her head slowly. "It's not for you. Go on, it's time." She turned and went to her room, closing the door behind her.

5:57pm

Katniss took a breath and went to the door. Before she could knock, the door opened and Peeta quickly grabbed her wrist, pulling her into the room. The door slammed loudly behind her.

The sheer force of the pull caused her to fall against him and instinctively her hand reached to the back of his neck to steady herself.

She met his blue eyes and it happened. The spark.

He pulled her close; his mouth was already against her ear.

Peeta took a deep breath and the heat of his mouth barely touching her skin made her clench inside. Those night feelings were suddenly creeping back in and without thinking, she leaned closer into his body.

"I just need to remember," he whispered brokenly.

She nodded understandingly and took his hand so that she could lead him to his bed.

Sitting down, Katniss beckoned him. He went to her slowly and sat on the edge. She laid back and he followed so that their chests brushed against one another; their heartbeats mirroring one another's.

It was then that she understood what her mother had described as a 'primal need' for someone. Her parents had been passionate people—practically enamored with one another. She still remembered the sounds of their lovemaking as she lay in the room next to theirs.

When her father died, it had been the end of her mother and almost the end of her.

The day they left, she told herself that she would never let anyone make her feel like that. No one would make her burn for them.

No one would bring to her to the edge.

Yet when Peeta's hand found its way to her inner thigh, all logic flew out the window.

He looked down, his eyes bright and brushed the dark bang on her forehead back before his mouth went to her neck. The roughness of his lips on her moist skin kindled the growing fire in her and she could feel the dampness grow against her slit.

It only worsened when Peeta suddenly bit the skin of her neck and her hand went to the back of his head to pull him closer to her.

She squeezed her legs together to stop the feeling. It only caused the coarseness of her cotton panties to rub against the wetness.

Peeta groaned against her and she felt a thrill rush through her. She had brought that out of him and the thought excited her more than she wanted it to.

She made him burn—and ache—everything that she had been against.

His hand that was held captive from her closed thighs moved roughly against her. Her chest rose brushing his as her back arched sharply. Peeta's hand reached under to hold her closer.

"I've got you," he said as his other hand slipped behind the elastic of her panties.

Katniss pushed her hips into his hand, urging him for more. Quickly, she pulled her shirt over her head and his mouth went immediately to a bare nipple.

A new sensation took over as he suckled and her whole body was electrified. The current seemed to focus on one area.

She needed more. "Harder."

His mouth tightened around her and her legs parted, allowing him to slip a finger inside her. Her muscles enclosed around his finger and she bucked against it, wanting desperately to fall apart.

Her eyes closed and she imagined that maybe it could be different for them.

That maybe one day, he would find her again.

The thought remained with her as she rode his hand, racing for completion. When the rough pad of his thumb rubbed against her clit—she felt herself clamp around him.

Everything went white and it didn't matter that there were three adults downstairs waiting for them as she came all over her best friend's hand.

All that mattered was them.

Then it was over.

She opened her eyes and was surprised to find her face wet with tears—she wasn't sure who they belonged to.

Peeta leaned his forehead against hers, his rapid breathing mixing with her own.

"I feel like I should kiss you," she said softly.

"No," he murmured, his eyes never leaving hers. "I need something to hope for."

Katniss looked around the room before spotting the Mockingjay pin she had brought—it had been her Dad's. It lay on the carpet next to her shirt.

Sitting up, she reached down and grabbed it. Opening his palm, she placed the pin inside and closed his fingers around the precious memento.

She gave him a sad smile. "Find me."

Peeta nodded before getting up. Going to the door, he grabbed the rucksack next to it. He didn't look back as he walked out and closed the door behind him.

She didn't want him to look back.

Turning, she looked at the clock on his side table: 6:00pm

Katniss didn't know how long she stayed in his bed. Or when she had put her shirt back on.

When she opened her eyes again, she found someone holding her from behind as she lay on his bed with her face buried in his pillow.

It was Effie.

She struggled—the feeling of emptiness overwhelming her.

"It's okay, honey… it's okay," Effie reassured her and it only made her shake harder.

She finally understood.

Lust. Love. She had always thought that they were interchangeable.

But they weren't and she had felt them both that night.

"Katniss, it's okay…" Effie rocked her and she felt herself falling against the older woman as she cried.

The next morning—she told them she was leaving.

She would make sure he found her.

FIN.