"You know what you need to do."

"If I honestly knew what I needed to do, I wouldn't be bothering you. We both know that."

"You need to make him fall out of love with you, Katniss."

"And how on earth am I supposed to do that?"

"So modest,"

"Haymitch, please."

"Find someone else."

Katniss Everdeen placed her hands in her lap and uneasily began to swing her legs back and forth. Just the thought of the familiar training facility was enough to throw her body into an unwelcome panic. A year ago, she had been certain she would never see that God forsaken center again. Yet here she was, idly pumping her body in sync to the bumps of the train car heading towards the facility. She jumped slightly, reminded of her companion by the clear of a throat.

"You look…"

Katniss smiled wryly. "Terrible?"

"Beautiful."

She fought the urge to roll her eyes. This was the kind of pureed sentimental bullshit Katniss hated. Even coming from Peeta, those sorts of comments had a way of soiling her mood.

"Ha-ha"

"I'm serious Katniss. You do." Peeta looked down at his hands, most likely cursing himself for commenting on the girl's appearance at all. "Is something... bothering you?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. You just seem a little…lost in thought, I guess."

"Well, this whole 'fighting to the death for, not the first, but the second time' deal has me a little consumed at the moment."

"Well, it shouldn't."

Although she knew Peeta was just trying to cheer her up, Katniss could feel her temper short-circuiting.

"And why shouldn't it, Peeta?" she snapped.

"You're a natural born survivor. You'll make it out of this game, just like the last."

She didn't deserve him, romantically or platonically. As irritating as she sometimes found him, Peeta was one of the sweetest people she'd ever known. She had no idea why someone of his moral stature would bother with her.

"Oh God, I hope not." Katniss said, trying unsuccessfully to mentally shut down his reassurances. Peeta glanced up at her, a blend of hurt and confusion.

"Katniss-"

"Oh Peeta, for Christ's sake! Don't you get it? If I get out…you-you…"

"Don't?" he lifted his focal point to meet her gaze, smiling sadly.

"I'm not going to let that happen. Say what you'd like, but I won't."

And with that she stood up to leave, taking with her the last word.

She'd been seeking Haymitch for approximately five seconds before she found him, lips sealed to a bottle in the dining compartment. The area around him was littered with an assortment of colorfully labeled bottles, warning women with child not to consume.

"You're going to end up drinking yourself to death Haymitch. I swear to God."

He smirked, raising the bottle to toast with air. "That's the plan, sweetheart."

She chuckled, then averted her gaze to the floor.

"Something wrong?"

"Peeta says he wants to protect me."

"And…?"

"I can't let that happen. Peeta needs to be the one to come back. Not me."

Katniss was met with a look of disinterested confusion. She sighed, clearly exasperated.

"Fuck Haymitch… what do I do?" she squeaked.

"You know what you need to do."

"If I honestly knew what I needed to do, I wouldn't be bothering you. We both know that." She snapped.

Haymitch sighed, and replied with a tone which implied such simplicity one would assume his previous statement had been a line from Dick and Jane. "You need to make him fall out of love with you, Katniss."

"And how on earth am I supposed to do that?"

"So modest,"

She pressed her fingers into her temple. "Haymitch, please."

"Find someone else."

"Fuck you." Katniss spun on her heel, deciding to leave before she lost her temper.

"Someone else to love." He hissed. Katniss froze in her tracks.

"But… wouldn't that… hurt him?"

"He'd survive. And that's what you're trying to do: help him survive." She frowned, still unsure.

"But why would that help him survive?"

Haymitch sighed. "Katniss, the boy's soft. He has the heart of a teenage girl. Do you honestly think he'd be able to let go of a spiteful broken heart? Even in the arena?"

The truth in his words hurt Katniss more than she would ever admit. "That's not true. Peeta's not like that. He-"

"What? Loves you? The heart is a malleable thing Katniss. Remember that."

She swallowed, letting his words enter her bloodstream. If this was the way to save Peeta, she'd go through with it. No matter how much it hurt, she'd do it.

She grimaced. "So how do I go about finding someone else?"