A.N. I'm just going to say I'm sorry for the awful chapter. I was in major writers block and was struggling for words. And this chapter is extremely similar to the actual books. I hope it isn't too bad. Sorry you guys.

The day is filled with a flurry of activity as Peeta and I are prepped for our interviews with Caesar Flickerman. Just as Cinna promised, he talked to my prep team about controlling their emotions. And while I don't have to put up with their usual gossip, their silence is almost as bad.

Octavia has to step out of the room every few seconds, Flavius eventually puts down his scissors and leaves the room when his tears get the best of him, and it's up to Venia to finish prepping me. She sets her jaw determinedly and makes me over, her fingers flying due to the lack of help.

When she declares that I'm done, she takes my hands in both of hers, and says, "We would all like you to know what a privilege it has been to make you look your best." She wipes away one more tear from her face and fixes a stray hair in my head.

Before she runs for the door, leaving the room ever so silent.

My prep team despite the childish attitude and Capitol point of view, have wormed their way into my life. The way they take care of me and try their hardest to make me beautiful, truly is sweet. Blame it on my crazy hormones, but I feel a tear slide down my cheek at the thought of not seeing them again. But I suppose I won't see any of these people again. Not Cinna or Haymitch. Even Peeta.

I must die if I intend for Peeta to live.

When Cinna walks in carrying a garment bag over his shoulder, he sends a small smile my way.

"What have you got for me today?" I ask him.

He sighs and sets the bag down.
"You should probably know that I tried to refuse, but President Snow insisted you wear this." My stomach ties in knots at his statement and I nod my head.

The sound of a zipper opening fils the room and I wait patiently with a knotted stomach, to see the outfit. White silk with pearls and lace comes into my view and I automaticity recognize the dress.

"My wedding dress? Why would he want me to wear that?" I ask him silently and his eyes answer my question.

To show that Snow is still in charge.

"Even though they announced the Quarter Quell the night of the photo shoot, people still voted for their favorite dress, and this was the winner."

Cinna helps me into the dress, and I sag under the weight of it for a moment. "I don't remember it being this heavy," I say.

"I had to make some adjustments for lighting," Cinna replies, and I don't have time to question him further before he has me walking in 5 inch heals.

"You're ravishing," he says with a small smile. "Katniss, because the bodice is so fitted, I don't want you raising your arms above your head. Not until you twirl, anyway."

"I'm twirling, again?" I ask.

He nods his head. "I'm sure Caesar will ask you. And if he doesn't, then suggest it yourself. Only not right away. Save it for your big finale," he tells me. I get the feeling that my twirling has a much greater significance that merely twirling and turning into fire.

"Alright," I agree.

"Any plans for the interview this year?" Cinna asks as we begin to make our way to the elevators to meet the rest of our District 12 entourage.

"No, I'm just going to wing it," I tell him honestly. "It's funny, actually. I'm not nervous at all."

And it's true. I'm not nervous. Why would I be? The cameras don't bother me anymore. Instead of making me nervous, they just annoy me.

Cinna and I meet Peeta, Portia, and Haymitch at the elevator. Peeta is dressed in an elegant black tuxedo with white gloves, the proper attire for a groom according to the Capitol. And while Peeta looks handsome, I can't help but think he looked even better in the jeans and t-shirt he wore at our toasting.

"You're beautiful," Peeta says softly, smiling when he sees my blush.

"A blushing bride," Portia comments, prompting an even deeper blush to stain my cheeks. "You look lovely."

"Thanks." Peeta takes my hand and together we make our way to the back of the stage where we'll wait until it's time for the interviews.

Peeta gives me a small smile, squeezing my hand.

When we arrive backstage, all attention is immediately on us. Silence surrounds the air as their eyes fall on my wedding dress, glaring at it. Finally, Finnick breaks the unnerving silence. "I can't believe Cinna put you in that thing."

"President Snow made him," I immediately defend. "He didn't have a choice."

"Well, you look absolutely ridiculous!" Cashmere says with a flip of her hair before walking past us, grabbing her brother's hand and leading him to the front of the line.

The other tributes begin to follow suit, most of them completely ignoring us, except for Finnick, who claps Peeta on the shoulder and gives me a smile that holds none of its usual brightness, but it's still genuine. What surprises me the most is Johanna, who stops to straighten my pearl necklace and says, "Make him pay for it, okay?"

I truly realize the depth of Johanna's statement when we're all sitting on the stage, and the interviews have begun. The betrayal that the victors feel by being reaped for the arena again is evident in their faces, in their demeanor, and during their interview.

I hold Peeta's hand tightly as the line back stage slowly diminishes and we are the only two left.

And then Caesar calls my name.
The crowd was upset with the previous interviews but my wedding dress proves to be too much for them. They break down in tears and cry out in anguish. Even Caesar, whose hair and makeup is purple this year, has to resort to using all his years of professionalism as he tries to calm the wild audience. I can hear the three minute clock for my interview just ticking away in my mind. The Capitol seems to have finally realized that because of the Quell, there will be no wedding. No more star-crossed lovers of District 12. No happily ever after. They realize that mine and Peeta's story only ends in death.

But it won't only be us dying in the arena, our baby too.

Finally, there's a break in the noise, and Caesar manages to ask, "So, Katniss, this is a very emotional night for everyone. Is there anything you'd like to say?"

"Only that I'm so sorry you won't get to be at my wedding, but I'm glad you at least got to see me in my dress. Isn't it just the most beautiful thing?"

As if I'm going from a script, I immediately rise from my chair and begin to twirl. When the screaming starts, I think it's because of my dress and my twirling, but when I see smoke beginning to rise up around me, I panic momentarily and stupidly try to twirl faster. This only causes the smoke to rise up even quicker, cocooning me in a grey shield that hides me from the eyes of the audience and everyone on stage.

The fire burning my dress is not like the flames I wore last year. These are much more real and seemingly deadly. The flames devour my dress. Charred, blackened bits of silk fall to the floor along with the many pearls that adorned the dress. With one final spin, the flames immediately extinguish, leaving me perplexed and smoking slightly.

For a split second, I think that I'm naked. I can only imagine what is running through Peeta's head while watching his wife burn her dress off and standing in front of a crowd, starch naked. But when my hands find my stomach, I feel a light texture beneath my fingertips. I look at my new outfit and see that the new dress draped on me is pitch black with gray hints throughout it. The texture feels much like feathers and somehow I know to raise my arms. And that's when I see myself on a television screen.

Smoke still lightly surrounding me, I see myself wrapped in black except for my sleeves, or rather wings, which are white. I realize what Cinna has done.

He has turned me into a mockingjay.

Smoke still  rises from my dress, so it's with a cautious hand that Caesar reaches out to touch my dress. "Feathers," he murmurs. "You're like a bird."

"A mockingjay," I reply, as I wonderingly give my wings a small flap.

My token. The mockingjay. My symbol.

The mockingjay is the symbol for the rebellion oh, Cinna, what have you done?

His previous words float through my head.

"Don't worry, I always channel my emotions into my work. That way nobody but myself gets hurt."

I'm immediately filled with worry for my friend. While the people of the Capitol might not see it for what it truly is, President Snow will. And Cinna will be punished, I have no doubt. Cinna, what have you done?

"Well, hats off to your stylist. I don't think anyone can argue that that's not the most spectacular thing we've ever seen in an interview. I think he better take a bow!"

Cinna stands and takes a small, gracious bow. I swear for a moment his eyes meet mine, and I know that he knows exactly what he's done and he'd do it all over again without hesitation. Cinna is one of the bravest men I know.

The audience, of course, immediately breaks out into a wild applause, shouting praises at Cinna. He accepts them all with a small wave of his hand and a slight nod before returning to his seat, even if his applause isn't anywhere near finished. They're still applauding when the buzzer for my interview goes off, and Caesar thanks me as I leave.

As Peeta passes me, our hands touch briefly, and suddenly all my anxiety I feel for Cinna has transferred to Peeta. What is he planning to say? I know Peeta. I know that it has to involve me somehow, and be a part of some wild, crazy plan to protect me. So what could Peeta possibly be planning to say that's got him so nervous?

Of course, when his interview begins, he and Caesar immediately start an easy conversation full of jokes. Caesar gets down to the questions after a minute of joking about poultry and fires and feathers. No one knows Peeta like I do, but even the Capitol can tell that he seems preoccupied. Oh, Peeta, what are you going to do?

"So, Peeta, what was it like when, after all you've been through, you found out about the Quell?" Caesar asks.

My mind is immediately thrown back to that night. My horror and shock, fleeing into the basement of a house and passing out shortly after.

"I was in shock," Peeta answers, and I can tell that he's thinking of that night just as I am. "I mean, one minute I'm seeing Katniss looking so beautiful in all these wedding gowns, and then the next" he trails off, like the words that follow are too hard to say.

"You realized there was never going to be a wedding?" Caesar suggests gently.

I'm watching Peeta closely. He doesn't answer right away. Instead, he looks up at the audience, and then back to the floor. He glances at Caesar, and then finally his gaze rests on me. We hold each other's gaze for a solid five seconds and I see a decision reflected in his eyes.

Peeta looks back at Caesar. "Caesar, do you think all our friends here can keep a secret?"

"I feel quite certain of it," Caesar says.

The entire room is utterly silent, and the anticipation building in the air is nearly palpable. Just when I think everyone is about to crack under the pressure, Peeta takes a deep breath and says, "We're already married."

For a moment, betrayal stings so sharply within me that I nearly cry out. What does Peeta think he's doing? That was our moment, our time, our secret! One that was made specifically so we wouldn't conform to the Capitol's demands.

But just when the anger is about to take over, I remember that Peeta always has a plan.

Luckily for me, my expression showed none of my fiery turmoil. Instead, I showed surprise and shock, exactly like the crowd. Caesar gaps for a moment before he finally manages to ask, "But how can that be?"

"Oh, it's not an official marriage," Peeta says, even if it is completely official to us. "We didn't go to the Justice Building or anything. But we have this marriage ritual in District 12. I don't know what it's like in the other districts, but there's this thing we do," he continues on to describe the toasting, but I hardly hear him. All I see or hear is the flickering fire that was alive in the fireplace, the smell of toasting bread, and the love in Peeta's eyes. Our perfect moment.

I'm drawn back into the conversation when Caesar speaks. "Were your families there?"

"No," Peeta smiles with a hint of mischief and defiance. "But you see, we knew if we were married in the Capitol, there wouldn't be a toasting. Without one, we wouldn't feel married. It was an act of love and something we would be able to look back on." That's not at all our reason for doing our toasting, but it's the explanation that the Capitol is going to get. "And to us, we're more married than any piece of paper or big party could make us."

That part is true at least.

"So this was before the Quell?" Caesar clarifies.

"Of course it was before the Quell," Peeta says. "I'm sure we'd never have done it after we knew," he continues sounding more and more upset, and I know that half of it isn't fake. Half of it is real.

I'm confused, but I really don't have time to think about it much because Peeta continues, his words slowly gathering anger and bitterness. "But who could've seen it coming? No one. We went through the Games, we were victors, everyone seemed so thrilled to see us together, and then out of nowhere—I mean, how could we anticipate something like that?"

"You couldn't, Peeta," Caesar consoles, putting a comforting arm around Peeta. "As you said, no one could've. But I have to confess, I'm glad you two had at least a few months of happiness together. Aren't we happy for them?" Ceased exclaims and the crowd cheers.

The applause from the crowd is instant and nearly riotous. Well, I'm glad that they're happy we got a few months of living happily married before we're sent to our deaths. Sometimes, I wonder exactly how much they really love us.

"I'm not glad," Peeta says, surprising everyone, including me.

Caesar is as close to spluttering as he'll ever get. "S-surely even a brief time is better than no time at all, Peeta."

"Maybe I'd think that, too, Caesar," Peeta says bitterly, shocking me with his tone.

But nothing could have prepared me for what he says next.

"If it weren't for the baby."

A.N. So so so sorry for delay in the chapter! Alright was it bad?¿? I know I know, but I was struggling while writing it. Next chapter will be the rest of that night and the beginning of the 75th hunger games!! Yay! Comment what your thoughts about this chapter were and don't forget to star it! see you in the arena!
Xoxox
Me

Quote from the next chapter is from....Peeta!
"Don't fight Katniss, you have to run."