AN: Disclaimer - I do not own the Hunger Games or the Tudors.

Chapter 1 – The Great Undertaking

It's five minutes until midnight and a small group consisting of six persons are standing close together due to the lack of space. They are feet deep in the cold sewage, that is running slowly towards its exit at its reservoir placed many miles from here. The only light in this dark place comes from their headlamps, which they keep on a minimum on purpose. The smell alone in this place is enough for nobody to ever come down here, but that does not mean that the security cameras have not been installed. They have been – along with booby traps placed in strategic places. It had been a struggle for the group just to reach this point, even if they did have the knowledge of the traps' positions. This first part of the mission was completed, the second is far more difficult and the third part, the actual escape, almost impossible.

The leader of the group is holding out a detailed map of the building above them – or at least as detailed a map as possible, since the building they are about to break into is the most secluded and guarded building in all of Panem. Anyone just thinking about breaking in is thought to be mad, and any attempt would have been thwarted the moment the decision had been made. But not for this group. This group is a highly trained military elite unit, who have been practising for this exact moment for a whole year. They had received the command the moment the announcement to all of Panem was made; when it was announced that the First Lady of Panem was pregnant. Since then, every day had consisted of planning and training. Every scenario had been played out for this mission to run as smoothly as possible.

"Everyone, listen up and gather round," their leader states in a hush voice. "Here is a very great undertaking upon which our lives as well as the lives of all the innocent souls in Panem will depend on. Be in no doubt, that those who posses the heir to the presidential seat of Panem, will very soon posses the seat itself. The malicious line of Snow must come to an end. This boy cannot be allowed to grow up and follow the path of his father. President Coin has ordered that the boy is to be brought back to District 13 to be formed into our greatest hope for Panem."

The silence and the importance of their mission hang heavy in the air. The sound of the flowing sewage is the only reason that time seems not to have stopped.

"You've all volunteered for this, so you know what is at stake. At this very moment, we're standing right under a large cupboard located in the east wing of the presidential palace. We've five minutes until execution. Every person here knows his or her individual tasks and place?"

Nods of confirmation can just barely be seen in the sparse light.

"Good. Nevertheless, I'll go through the mission one last time. We'll drill a hole in the floor, big enough for a man to pass through. It should take maximum 10 minutes. When we're standing in the cupboard, we will move from here and along the corridor to the south in accordance with the guards' rotations."

As he speaks, the commander points out their route on the map. The red dots on the map indicate the positions of the guards and the map seems to be covered in rod dots. But no one seems to be frightened by the sight. This is what they are trained to do.

"Now, as we advance, we will encounter the stationary guards. They have to be taken out without the slightest sound. Any sound, any mistake and we'll be done for it. This room at the end of the hall is our target. This is the First Lady's lodgings. President Snow and his wife sleep separately at the moment. The boy is only 1 month old and will still be breastfeeding, so he'll be near his mother at all time. Also, there will be guards inside the room as well, and we'll most likely be discovered here. The orders are simple; kill the guards, pacify the First Lady, and take the boy. At this point, we'll have to return to the cupboard from which we came as fast as possible. We'll be one man down, since one of you will have to carry the boy. Leeg 1, that will be you."

The woman, known as Leeg 1, confirms her place in the mission, "Yes, commander Boggs."

"We'll then retreat down here and follow the same path out as we came in. If we've been discovered, we'll most likely be able to run straight for the hovercraft. The guards will have turned off the traps in fear of harming the heir. We'll have to reach the hovercraft before they do."

With that Boggs, rolls up the map, places it in a pocket and readies his weapon. The soldiers shift from one foot to the other, gripping their own weapons as they prepare for what will be their most challenging mission to date.

As the watch tells of the beginning of midnight, it seems the soldiers turn into carefully trained robots. The procedures they have repeated ad nauseam are coded into their movements. One person marks the place to drill and another controls the small drill. And 9 minutes later, the soldiers are able to remove the piece of the floor and make their entrance.

As they enter the cupboard one by one, they have to remove several items, so the whole area around the hole is uncovered and there is space enough for them all to be standing there. Commander Boggs goes straight to the door of the cupboard and pulls out an electronic device, which shows any human moments on the other side of the door. A patrolling guard is approaching the cupboard and he is right on schedule. With one hand in the air Boggs signals for the others to stand completely still, ready to go. As the guard has passed the door, the signal to leave the cupboard is given.

In the blink of an eye, Boggs has managed to break the guard's neck and catch him before he hits the floor. Two other soldiers make sure to place the body inside the cupboard, to buy them more time before the next guard is to patrol the area.

Everything goes fluently and according to plan. They manage to take out the guards in the hallway without making their presence known, whether it is by brute force or with specialized soundless guns. And soon, they find themselves in front of a huge white double door with beautifully carvings embedded with gold leaves. The commander turns to Leeg 1 as if to ask her if she's ready to grab the child. She gives him a slight nod and the commander places his hand on the door handle.

Counting down from three with his fingers he turns the handle and the soldiers storm inside the room, guns at the ready and fires at every guard in the room. The sounds of gunfire from the peacekeepers' weapons echo through the hall. Quickly, Leeg 1 scans the giant room until she spots the elaborate crib made from solid gold and marble with curtains of silk. Obviously it did not take long to locate the baby. As she reaches the crib she looks down upon the baby inside it. He's starting to stir due to the noise in the room. Even at this early stage, it is clear that the boy has inherited his mother's beauty with his perfect features and tufts of golden, soft curls on his head. Leeg 1 is about to reach for the boy when she sees something in the corner of her eye that neither of her fellow soldiers have detected and no one has been prepared for.

The First Lady has risen from her bed. Her beautiful, long, blond hair still has the perfect soft curls and her skin unblemished, complemented by her long white silken nightgown with laces at the edges. Even in a situation like this she holds herself with such poise that one would only expect of the highest-ranking woman in the country. Not a single person would have thought her to be in distress at this very moment; only her chest is heaving heavily which gives away her current physical state. In her hands she holds a gun, finger ready at the trigger, and the gun is pointing directly at Leeg 1. "Get away from my son, bitch." she snarls, her icy blue eyes sending daggers at the intruder.

But before she manages to fire the gun, she stills. Her light blue eyes widen, her mouth opens in shock and she falls forward into her bed, where the expensive sheets slowly are getting soaked from the blood pouring from her chest. Leeg 1 looks up, and sees her sister, known as Leeg 2, still holding her own gun towards the exact same position where the First Lady had been standing a moment ago.

The whole room falls silent; everyone is staring at the dead woman. The palace guards have been taken down and only two of the soldiers from 13 have a superficial hit, which they are desperately trying to bandage.

It's the sound of the crying baby in the crib that brings them back to reality. Leeg 1 quickly reaches for the boy and takes him into her arms. She also takes his sleeping blanket from the crib and clads him in it. Then she tries to lull him back to sleep, but the boy clearly only wants his mother. Well, that's a bit difficult know.

"Soldier, what happened?" Boggs commands. He is furious and he keeps looking from the First Lady to Leeg 2, not quite believing what had just transpired. "I said pacify, not kill the First Lady! Was that difficult to understand?" he rages.

"It was an instinctive move, sir. She had a gun pointing at my sister. There was nothing else I could have done! I would have pulled the trigger a thousand times over to prevent her from killing any of us." Leeg 2 says.

"Well, there is nothing we can do about it now. There's no reason to linger, phase 3 is initiated. Move it! Leeg 1, make sure you keep that boy from crying. He's giving away our position."

As they run down the hallway towards the cupboard, the sirens start and all the light is turned on. Their time being unnoticed has come to an end. As they descend down the hole in the cupboard they can hear the sounds of guards heading their way.

Boggs is leading the team through the pipes as fast as he can, making sure that no one triggers a pod. In the meantime he makes contact to District 13. "This is commander Boggs to headquarters, we have the package. I repeat, we have the package. Approaching evacuation point."

Everyone lets out a sigh of relief when the confirmation comes from the communicuff, "Commander Boggs, this is headquarters. Hovercraft is ready for take off."

"Good, that's not a moment too soon, because here comes the guards!" a soldier, named Jackson, shouts from the back as she actives a small hand grenade and throws it back against the guards that are approaching them in the pipe.

"That means they have shut off the pods. There is no way they would have reached us this fast with the pods still activated. Now, run for it!" Boggs yells at them.

They manage to reach the hovercraft before the Capitol has found their hiding place and soon the pilots have the hovercraft in the air. No one says a word. Just because they're out of the sewers it doesn't mean that they are safe. Safety can only be found when they have landed in District 13 without the Capitol on their tails.

They have been flying for a few hours and Leeg 1 is still trying to keep the baby from crying, but nothing seems to be working. And just like that a small boy of 1 month of age manage to remind them all about how nothing is certain before the mission is completed. Jackson turns to her, "Is there really nothing you can do to calm him?"

"I am trying. He's probably upset about the way he was ripped from his sleep… or he could be hungry. That's very likely." Leeg 1 says.

"That's another reason we'll have to get him to 13 as soon as possible. There is a nurse waiting for him with plenty of milk. Everything has been made ready, you know that."

Leeg 1 holds the boy closer to her as she tries to give him her little finger to suckle on. "Poor boy. Only a month old and already motherless." she whispers. But Jackson shakes her head at this. "Don't say that. He is fortunate that we have removed him from Snow. That boy will bring Panem to a better place once he is old enough for the rebellion to take place. Besides, it was either you or his mother. And I'm glad that you're still here."

Boggs comes over to them, his face looking very grim, "Ladies, I'm afraid I'll have to put an end to your conversation. We have company and lots of it. Buckle up."

The pilots of the hovercraft start to make evasive manoeuvres and it is not a moment too soon when they hear the shots being fired. "They're shooting at us. Are they crazy! We could crash and all of us, including the child, would die!"

They manage to evade for a time, but then it happens - twice. The whole hovercraft shakes violently but still manage to stay in the air. One of the pilots calls out for Boggs. "Commander, we're hit. Two of our engines are down. We can keep on flying but they'll catch up with us pretty quickly."

"Damn! Those idiots know what they are aiming for. They are forcing us to land if we don't want them to board us." Boggs takes a look at his crew, knowing he has to take a quick decision. "Take us down. We'll proceed by foot. But try shake them off, if you can!"

Unfortunately it is not possible to shake off the Capitol's hovercrafts, but their own hovercraft is slightly smaller in size and they are able to land in the forest below them, whereas the Capitol's hovercrafts will have to find a larger landing site.

The entire crew of the hovercraft are now finding themselves in the middle of a forest in the winter. The snow has not fallen yet, but the air is cold and unfriendly and the night cloaks them in darkness. The cold weather seems to have managed to do what Leeg 1 could not, making the boy fall silent.

As they have moved on foot in the direction of 13 for a while, Jackson suddenly cries out, "Commander, parachutes! They're not landing, they are coming down from above! There is no way we can move as quickly as we have to with a baby!" And just like that, the baby starts crying again, as if he thought it was his cue to make his presence known.

They all look up and see the peacekeepers gently floating down towards the forest. They are easy to spot with their light parachutes reflecting the moonlight in the dark.

"Listen up! New plan. We're going to abandon the mission for now. Leave the boy here; he'll give away our location. We're to run towards the abandon hut in sector 18, forcing the peacekeepers in that direction, so they won't notice the boy. And from there, we'll have the advantage when they come." Boggs orders them.

"But the boy…" Leeg 1 starts.

Boggs throws her a dark look. "Hide the boy, soldier! We'll come back for him. Abandon mission, that's an order!"

Leeg 1 spots a hollow tree trunk not far from them and places the bundle in there. But before she leaves, she whispers softly to the baby, promising to come back for him before long.

And with that, the soldiers from District 13 run in the opposite direction with the peacekeepers at their trail.

That same winter night, a man in deep sorrow is on his way back home from the meadow. In his hand he holds a shovel, that he had used for what no parent should ever had to endure – the burial of his still-born daughter. Fortunately, the birth had taken places late in the evening, and no one would probably have seen him carrying his dead baby girl in a bundle through the district. His other two children, both boys, are with their grandparent tonight and have been spared of seeing the disaster. But he will not be able to conceal the fact that there will be no little sister for them to play with. The district will surely know of their misfortune when tomorrow comes, but at least they will have the night to mourn in peace.

The man walks along the fence surrounding his district. This route is where he is sure no one will find him, and he knows that he does not have the strength to receive the pity and condolences from anyone he might meet. But then he hears something on the other side of the fence. A sound from the woods beyond the district. A faint cry, perhaps? A cry from baby? His mind must be playing him a trick. Of course, there is no baby in the woods. Why would there? His sorrow has taken too great a hold of him and now he starts imagine things.

But then the sound intensifies in volume. No, it is a baby. He's sure of it. But there seems to be no one near. Could that poor child be alone? Alone and abandoned? Before he can stop himself, he has placed both hands on the fence, spying into the woods. When he discovers what he had done, he yanks them back. What was he thinking? He could have been electrocuted! But luckily, the fence had not been turned on and since there is not a person near him, he makes up his mind and falls onto his knees and starts digging the fence up.

He manages to tear the fence out of the ground for just a bit, so that he will be able to crawl under it. His determination to pass the fence seems only to intensify as he hears the baby crying. Once he is through, he follows the sound until he stands before a large oak tree that must have fallen in a storm. As he searches the tree, he spots an opening near the ground and he cannot believe his eyes at the sight that greats him.

A small, moving bundle is lying inside the opening and the sounds are unmistakably the cries of a baby. He takes the small bundle in his arms and look down upon one of the sweetest baby boys he has ever laid eyes upon. The boy is definitely no older than 1 and half month, maybe two months, but certainly no older. His hair colour is golden and his complexion fair. But it is his eyes that make the man grow soft. Blue eyes, that are as clear as the sky and so full of love that it is impossible to look away.

The boy has stopped crying and is instead examining the man holding him. Perhaps he thinks he is his father because of the blond hair and blue eyes that they share. His father? Maybe he could be…

"Hello? Is someone out there?" the man calls out, but no answer comes.

The man looks down upon the small boy in his arms. Poor little thing, he must have been abandon. Who could ever do that to such a lovely boy? He looks around the clearing, what creatures could lure out there? The baby will never survive on its own during the winter. In that moment, the man makes up his mind and turns around and walks back towards the district with the baby lying safely in his arms.

He manages to return home without meeting anyone on his way – and most importantly no peacekeepers. As he enters the shop and makes his way up the stairs to their family's living quarters he is met with same scene from which he left. His wife sitting in an armchair clutching a small pink blanket while she stares into the fire with vacant eyes.

"Darling." he softly says as he approaches to her.

She lifts her eyes to him and they immediately harden. "What is that in your arms? You were supposed to bury her, not bring her back here. Are you out of your mind to come back with her!"

The man takes a seat beside his wife. "I did bury her and laid flowers upon her grave. But I was delayed on the way home as I heard this little fellow call out." He explains. He gazes at the boy in his arms who seems to want to know where he is as he starts trashing around inside the blanket.

His wife looks at him as if he had told her that he wanted to walk naked around the district. "You must be completely mental. You have not only brought home a baby to vex me in my sorrow, but Seam trash? - that's even worse! How could you do this to me!" she yells at him.

"No, no, my dear. Not at all. I would never have done this if I thought it was wrong of me. Look at him. His skin is fair, his hair is blond and look at the eyes, they're blue. I don't believe there is a single drop of Seam in him." he assures her.

His wife reluctantly takes a peak inside the blanket and to her astonishment she sees everything her husband had described. The small boy must have seen her too, since he starts to squirm even more inside his blanket, managing to get his tiny arms free and almost reaches for her as he starts whimpering.

The man smiles a sad smile in his wife's direction "I know you're hurting. But I believe with all my heart, that I must have found this little boy for a reason. Fate might have taken our daughter from us, but now we have been fortunate enough to be granted a son. It is as if he was meant to be ours. Goodness me, he looks almost to be newborn. No one would have to know about what has happened tonight. No one would ever have to know besides you and me."

He turns his attention to the boy that has clearly grown unhappy. "You poor little thing, how much suffering you have already been through. You must be starving." he coos.

His wife lets out a heavy sigh and throws away the pink blanket. "Fine! Give him to me." she states. The man unwraps the baby from the bundle and handles him to his wife. As she starts to unbind the strings on the front of her dress with one hand, she sharply points out that no one can know about him not being their biological son… ever!

And as the small boy greedily sucks the milk from her breast, she aims a question at both her new son and at her husband, now a father of three. "Well, little one, what shall we call you?"

The answer comes swiftly from her husband, "Peeta… Peeta Mellark."

Author's Note:

This is an idea that I have been thinking about for almost a year, and I finally managed to sit down and actually write the prologue. I know that there are stories out there with either Katniss or Peeta being the child of Snow, and I love those stories even though I cannot say to have read them all, but I thought I would give it a go with my own twist to it. I have so many ideas to where this story can lead to, but I guess it will be decided as I go along. Since English is not my first language, I apologize for all the mistakes I have made.