The Hunger Games: Staying True. (Completed)

Chapter Fourteen; Declarations of the Unwanted Kind. [Edited]

Peeta pauses at the knock on his door.

Hopefully, it is Beetee or Plurtarch, ready to go over more plans, more last minute preparations. This is all that has consumed him for days on end and it's become his obsession.

When he does jerk it open, there is only a mixture of disappointment and annoyance. With a sigh, he leaves it open but turns away, going back to the files on his bed.

Katniss and Gale step into the room silently, both of them eyeing the papers Peeta is rifling through. Confidential is stamped harshly across each of them.

"Peeta..." Katniss starts, wringing her hands as she peers closer, worry all over her face.

"Don't start."

"You told me you might go, that you were thinking about it. You didn't tell me you'd made the decision."

"Did Haymitch tell you?" Peeta mutters, irritated. 

"Johanna did."

He sighs harshly through his nose, but doesn't offer a comment.

"Why would you do it? Why would you risk it?" She's reaching for him, hands outstretched to implore him, beg him, but he shifts away, unable to even meet her eyes. She shrinks back into herself.

Peeta sighs and turns towards her, makes an effort to meet her eyes. She's thinner than she had been, her hair brittle, thin, the rich dark brown it had been faded and dull now. The grey of her eyes, so bright and intelligent, have faded like her hair. She rarely glances up from the floor.

"I have to, Katniss." Peeta says, voice full of determination. "I have to."

"It isn't your problem."

"I owe her."

"What? What do you owe her? So she helped you, so what? I've helped you, but you won't stay for me."

"You're not in danger. You're not going to be killed."

"She might not be," Katniss shrugs, "She might make it."

"Coin is set on killing her. She needs help."

"But why does it need to be you? Johanna could go, she's willing."

Peeta sighs for what feels like the hundredth time, he'd given her so many different reasons and he's argued for hours on end. This specific point has been given about seventeen times; Someone else can go.

Of course someone else could, Peeta thought. More than one had been willing. Haymitch, Johanna, Birch, even Gale. But Peeta had been adamant. Everyone had told him it wasn't necessary, he'd done enough, but he hadn't. Not this time.

"Gale, tell him."

Peeta barks out a laugh. "You brought him here because you think he'll convince me?"

"Gale is rational." Katniss mutters, eyes on the floor again.

"He's on my side." Peeta snorts, turning back to organise the files, packing them neatly away. State secrets, District 13 secrets, reports and information from the Rebellion.

All of them laced with one word, one key word; Wolf.

"No, he isn't." Her voice is defiant, but her gaze is uncertain as she looks to Gale.

Gale, always eager to do anything that will win him favour with Katniss, looks torn. He agrees with Peeta. He wanted to go, after all. But he also doesn't want to betray Katniss, not again, not after Prim.