I wake early. Rubbing my face, I walk downstairs to make coffee. Normally, I hate coffee, but I'll need all the energy I can get today.

I bring some up for Peeta, and rouse him awake before packing up the kids.

Once I do that, I let Peeta see them for a minuet or two before rushing them over to house fourteen.

Then, I come back in, and pull on my base layers as Peeta takes a shower. He comes out and looks at me sadly.

"Do we really have to go?" He asks into my hair as he slings his arms around my body and snuggles into my hair.

"Yes baby." I whisper. "We have to."

"How long do we have?" He asks.

"About an hour." I reply.

"Can we do something?" He asks me.

"Like?" I whisper. 

"Dance?" He asks hopefully.

"But there's no music." I smile up at him. 

"So .. pretend." He says taking my hand and spinning my around.

We sway together as one, not speaking a word. We move in a tiny circle.

I look up at him with such pride and happiness. "You make me proud to be called a Mellark." I whisper.

"I'm glad your proud." He smiles. "I do have one question though." He asks seriously. "Well a few." He finishes.

"Go ahead." I smile breaking from his grasp and pulling him to the bed.

"Why if we're married, do people still call you an Everdeen?"

I can tell by his eyes he's hurt that people won't call me by his name. "I will always be known as Katniss Everdeen." I whisper. "If it makes you feel any better I always wanted to get rid of my name."

"Why?" He asks rubbing my back softly.

"It's a reminder of the past. I want so badly to forget the past. My father. My sister. My life. That house. I want to forget it all."

"Your past is what makes you." 

"I know that. I do. But sometimes I just want to forget it all and start fresh."

"Even if it meant not getting to be with me?" He asks me, hurt shinning in his eyes.

"No baby. I will always pick the life where you and I end up together. I promise." I caress his cheek.

"I pick you too." He smiles. "But I have one more thing."

"Okay." I whisper retracting my hand.

"What should we do if something happens?"

"Like, to either of us?" He nods to my question. "Handle it the way you think I would want it; the same for you."

"How do you want it handled?"

"I want burned. And my ashes spread over the meadow and lake." I whisper softly.

He nods, a single tear rolling down his cheek. "I want the same then. I want to be with you no matter what."

"I love you Peeta." I tell him.

"I love you too girl on fire."

***

"Come on, get up on the porch and tell everyone to shush!" I'm told by my old mentor.

They help me up onto the high porch and I look around.

Two hundred people stand before me, all with weapons and determined faces.

Behind them, my mother and Annie work hard on checking in all of the children they are going to be taking care of.

"Alight guys! Hey! Look up here!" I call through the people.

"Hey!" Gale yells angrily. "When the woman speaks, you all shut the hell up!"

I look down at him startled. "Thanks."

He nods and I look back up at the crowd. "So the game plan, we're gonna head out by the old fence. Then, it's a long trek, if anyone isn't ready for that they can opt to be in the second group tomorrow, but if that's no one let's get going." Haymitch taps my foot. "Don't go anywhere yet, just hold on."

I bend down, in a squatting position to speak to him. He ushers the others over quick.

"Katniss takes the lead, and then everyone else spread out a little ways back to make sure everyone's getting along right okay?"

We all nod. "Okay."

I stand back up.  "So, everyone just stay here for a couple moments while we gather our stuff and then we'll get going."

We all head into my house. There, I clasp the locket and pearl around my neck. Stuffing a picture of my children and Peeta in my pocket, and my fathers jacket into a side bag.

Haymitch leans on the table looking down at a map. "Now if we take this path, it should be short and mostly easy  leading us into the south fields."

"How long you recon that'll take?" I ask slinging a bag over my shoulders.

"No more than a few hours." He says.

He grabs a pencil, and marks some things on the map, and then again on an identical map. "Take that to Gale." I nod to Peeta.

"When we're on the move, we won't be together, so we're gonna make a whooping sound if we need each other."

Peeta nods and hurries off to take it to him. The door bursts back open, and I don't bother to look at it.

"Peeta you don't need to slam the door it's bad for the hinges."

"Katniss!" He cries. "They're back, They caught wind of the uprising yesterday and they're back?"

I turn and look at his wide eyes. "Who? Who's back?"

"The peacekeepers!"

"Shit shit shit." I yelling grabbing my other bag and rushing outside. "Guys!" I cry. No one listens over the panic of Peeta rushing around and freaking out.

"HELLO!" I scream on the top of my lungs. "We need to go, now! Everyone please follow me."

I turn to make sure Peeta's behind me, and when I see his teary blue eyes I turn and rush towards the woods. I open the wooden gate to our backyard which opens to the woods.

"Everyone go! Go!"

They rush through after me, and I knock down any brush I can.

"Katniss!" Someone calls.

"What?" I reply breathlessly.

"North or south fields?" They ask.

"South." I jump over a log.

"Swerve left into that clearing and shoot straight across into the opposite corner."

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"Yes. Positive. I use it everyday."

"Okay." I reply veering off to the left and jumping over a small creek.

We run for countless minuets, I hear a quick whooping, I halt my quick pace into a slow jog.

"You, directs man. What's your name?" I ask turning to face the man who told me about the shortcut.

"Dayne." He replies.

"Well Dayne it's your lucky day." I say placing a hand on his shoulder. "You get to lead the pack for a few minuets. Can you do that?"

"Yes ma'am." He nods confidently.

"Did you hear that whoop early?" I ask him, he nods. "If something happens, anything, or you need to talk to someone. Make that sound I'll be back in seconds."

"Okay." He says.

I duck off, making my way to the very edge of the hoard of people and then walking backwards.

Its Haymitch I see first. "Was it you?" I ask. He nods. "What's up?"

"Your boy don't look too good. We're way ahead of schedule so run up there and stop them. Wait- who's leading?"

"His names Dayne, he knows these woods real well."

"Well alrighty then. Go stop it before your boy passes out back there."

Quickly I glance behind him, I catch the blue eyes. They're so full of pain and suffering. When they lock on mine they fill with hope, but I turn and run the other way.

Whoop. Whoop. I make the sound twice loudly, Dayne replies.

I rush to him. "Stop them." I say softly.

I take the megaphone off my hip, and click it on. "Alright guys! This is camp for the night! I want you all to sleep in a circle. Me and my squad will stay in the center. We shall determine watches later."

Dayne starts to walk away. "Hey, I want you with me." I say.

"Are you sure?" He asks.

"Don't question me." I smirk and bat my eyes. "Are you up for a challenge?"

"Always." He says hitting me with a strikingly handsome smile.

"Well good deal." I smile. "Come on then."

People settle down into small tents and sleeping bags. Haymitch speaks to the people about making sure -if we would get invaded - they can collect all they're things quickly.

"From this point on, your one of us." I say to Dayne.

"Us?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Me. Peeta. Haymitch."

"Oh, well if you want that I'll do that."

"I do." I smile at him.

"Alright."

"You don't leave my side at all; unless I tell you to leave my side or something like that." I laugh.

"Got it."

"I can't find Peeta." I frown.

"So your married right?" He asks.

"Yeah." I nod. "You?"

"Single as can be."

"Hard to believe." I mutter.

His features are striking. His hair is a dirty brown color, and his eyes piercing blue. He's tall, and built, he has muscle but it may not be toned. He has an attractive face.

"What was that ma'am?" He asks.

"What? Oh nothing." I shake my head.

He doesn't reply, just smirks down at me. He towers over me.

"Do you see Peeta anywhere?"

"No." He shakes his head.

"Well then me and you will just camp over there. If he needed me, he'd find me."

"You sure?"

"Perfectly." I nod.

"Alright." He says.

He rolls out his sleeping bag, and I do the same. We put them touching, i do it hoping I can steal some of his body heat. 

I get in the bag, but stay sitting up against a tree. "Aren't you gonna sleep?" He asks.

"I don't know what the watch schedule is; and another pair of eyes could never hurt."

"In that case I'll stay up too."

"No dayne sleep." I say pushing him back down onto the ground.

"No, it's fine." He persists. "I can go forever without sleeping."

"Fine, then be my guest." I shrug. He comes over and sits next to me. His shoulder firmly pressed against mine.

A small lantern next to me shines a dull light on us, my mockingjay suit lays in front of us.

I can feel him looking down at me. I look up at him briefly and shoot him a quick smile. "What?"

"What's this?" He whispers brushing my hair away from my chest and revealing a fresh scar.

His finger tips tingle my skin as they brush across my chest.

"It- it's nothing." I say quickly.  "Not anything you have to worry about."

"Okay." He says. He leans his head back on the tree behind him. "One day mockingjay, I'll figure you out."

I close my eyes softly. "I doubt it."

***

Extra long chapter for you guys because I got bored and now have like 6 chapters pre wrote 😂❤️