Tortured but Together (A Hunger Games Fanfiction) [UNDER EDITING]

Chapter Three [Edited]

A/N: Normal PSA that all the hunger games characters don't belong to me but to the wonderful Suzanne Collins! With that said, hope you enjoy the chapter!!

(Peeta POV)
I feel angry, and betrayed. Haymitch promised me that he would get Katniss out. Even if he couldn't save me, he promised he would save Katniss. She has a family to go back to, Prim, her mother, even Gale. I have nobody who needs me other than Katniss. Without her I have no one and without her, her family loses their provider. Sure, it's different now that we're in the victors village but so many people still rely on her, I couldn't let her die.

I angrily punch the medical examination table I'm sitting on, and almost immediately regret it because of the pain in my hand. The pain in my hand though is nothing compared to the pain in my heart. Katniss is gone...or at least she will be soon. I'm under no illusions that she'll cooperate with the Capitol, not even for a second. I let out an angry curse, directed at the Capitol and President Snow. Even though I know it's a bad idea, I can't help myself.

Alerted by the noise, one of the doctors comes rushing over and is quick to bandage my now bleeding knuckles. After all, they couldn't have one of their precious victors getting hurt...at least...not in a way that was out of their control. The Capitol was the only one who got to dole out pain like that. "Mr. Mellark, we're going to have to ask you to be more careful with yourself. You are one of the victors and so it's of utmost importance that you're well."

I sigh, leaning my chin on my uninjured hand. Pretending to keep my cool is exhausting and I'm tired of keeping it up, tired of being obliging and playing along, especially when it no longer keeps Katniss safe. All I care about is guaranteeing she's safe, nothing else. "I just want to have some idea of what's going on and I want to see Katniss!" It's impossible not to let the frustration and anger slip into my voice as I talk. I'm usually more of a level-headed person, but the thought of Katniss being hurt or worse...it makes me reckless, I would do anything to keep her safe, even if it meant putting my own neck on the chopping block.

The doctor takes a minute to respond, clearly wanting to approach the situation delicately. I can tell already that whatever he wants to say, I'm not going to like it. I wish he would just spit it out already though, delaying saying something painful doesn't make it hurt any less, all it does is drag it out. There's no point in dragging this out, and I think that after a few minutes, the doctor finally seems to realize that.

"Mr. Mellark, you seem like a genuinely caring man and it's clear for anyone to see how much you love Miss Everdeen. Because of that, I am going to be completely honest with you. Miss Everdeen is in quite a bit of trouble because of that stunt she pulled with the arena, and President Snow is quite angry at her for it. It is doubtful that she will get out of this situation without being severely punished."

"Why are you telling me this," I ask, the hurt and agony clear in my voice. I already know that Katniss is likely going to die once she gets to the Capitol. Why couldn't he tell me something I could do to save her instead? The only answer that comes to mind is that there isn't anything I can do; no amount of sweet talking or playing a crowd or anything can save her now. She's basically a goner and, I realize, so am I.

Before the doctor has a chance to answer, I feel a slight bump as the hovercraft hits the ground. The doctor offers me a hand to help me get up, and I take it. I'm still pretty dizzy from earlier as a result of getting hit with some of the debris as the arena fell apart. I was taken into the hovercraft fast enough to avoid anything fatal but that doesn't mean I was entirely out of the woods. We walk off the hovercraft, and the doctor continues his explanation.

"All of that being said, we do have reason to believe that you and Miss Everdeen will be reunited at some point in the future. President Snow will most likely see it as important that the two of you stand united on his side and help deliver the message that the districts need to stand down. On your end, we are not as worried about you trying to make any rash decisions, and so that's why you're not currently viewed as a security risk like Miss Everdeen is."

A security risk. What they really mean is a traitor, a rebel, but nobody dares to speak those words aloud, not here, not now.

It's a bit of a walk from the hovercraft, and when I see where we're going, I'm more than a little surprised. We stop in front of the Presidential Palace and I'm greeted by what looks like a small army of peacekeepers. A couple of them nod to the doctor, and then to me, before gesturing for me to walk inside. I wish I could see their faces, get some idea what they were thinking, what they were feeling about me being brought to the heart of the Capitol...but they have their visors and helmets on so I can't read them at all.

Seeing as I don't really have much of a choice, I follow the peacekeepers into the building. It looks different from when I was last here, there aren't hundreds of people like there were that day for the final party of the victory tour, and I don't have Katniss with me. At this point, I wonder if I'll actually ever see her again.

The hallways still look just as extravagant though, from the marble floor to the mahogany staircases and doors, this whole place is grander than anyone from back home in district 12 could ever dream. Still, it feels eerily quiet here, almost as if something terrible is about to happen. In a way, something terrible already did happen. President Snow got beaten at his own game, which, while it might feel nice in the moment, is sure to bring a whole new level of hell down on the districts in the very near future. Who knew what he would resort to in order to keep us in line now that the Hunger Games had failed...

After a while, we stop in front of an unmarked door, and the peacekeepers gesture for me to open it. If I had to guess, it's probably where I'll be staying for the foreseeable future. At least I can be pretty sure it's nicer than a dank, basement cell, that is, if what the doctor from earlier said is true.

Once I open the door, I'm a little shocked by how grand everything looks. It's luxurious even by Capitol standards and these rooms could just as easily be used as an entirely separate house. With the peacekeepers on the other side of the door, blocking me from leaving, I can only assume I'm supposed to go inside, and so I do. As I turn around to ask what's going on, the door is shut in my face. It's a reminder that even though I'm not being treated like a threat, I'm still a prisoner here. I'm in a gilded cage, given fancy things and a beautiful view, but still not allowed outside.

Figuring that I'll probably have a little time on my hands, I decide to look around the room a bit. From a quick glance, I can see that there's a bedroom, a living room, a dining room, and a bathroom, all of them massive. I guess everything is bigger here, the extravagance, the threats, the jewels, the knives...there's so much here that defies expectations and even the laws of reality themselves.

Just as quickly as my energy comes, it disappears, leaving me exhausted. The games have definitely taken their toll on me, both physically and emotionally. All I want right now is to see Katniss and make sure she's alright, and then take a long nap, preferably while holding her in my arms. When I sleep, I get nightmares about losing her and the only thing that can calm me down is seeing that she's right there with me, as safe as she possibly can be in this dangerous world. Without Katniss here, sleep will probably be nearly impossible, but I'm tired enough that I decide to attempt it anyway.