Ivy made her way across the river and to the tree line of the cornucopia. She hid in the bushes and scoped the field out. 4 packs were sitting in front, 2, 5, 11, and 12. She waited a minute or so and saw Foxface run swiftly, grabbing the bag and taking off again.

Ivy went right after her and ran for the bag. She kept watch and no one seemed to be coming out. She grabbed the bag and turned back to run when a knife hit her left arm.

She grabbed it from the ground and threw it back hitting the girl in the stomach. She still held her last knife when Clove tackled her. Ivy jabbed it in her side and Clove yelled in pain before grabbing it and throwing it.

While Clove was distracted Ivy threw the small girl off her and scrambled to grab her knife. Ivy stood up quickly and they held their knives ready to attack.

"Where's lover boy?" Clove taunted her. She looked at the fallen pack and back up to Ivy. "Oh, I see. You were gonna help him. Well, that's sweet." She cooed mockingly. "Well, it's too bad that you couldn't help your little friend. That little girl, what was her name again?" She cocked her head, a smirk on her face. "Rue? Yeah. Well, we killed her. And now, I'm gonna kill you."

Just as Clove started to dash for her, Thresh grabbed her from behind and slammed her against the metal cornucopia.

"You kill her?" He growled. Clove shook her head but Thresh didn't believe her. "No! I heard you!"

"Cato!" She screamed.

Ivy scrambled to grab her stuff from the ground trying not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"You said her name! You said her name!" Thresh growled and repeatedly slammed the girl into the cornucopia until he broke her neck and spine. He let her fall and looked back at Ivy as the canon blew.

"Just this time twelve." He pointed at her. "For Rue."

She nodded and he ran off into the wheat field. Ivy went to Clove's body and picked all the knives off her which consisted of two throwing knives and one big knife with waves on the blade. Quickly she ran and went back to the cave.

Ivy threw the stuff down and took off her jacket as she was now overly hot. She gently woke Peeta and grabbed the pack marked 12.

"I got it. I got the medicine." She told him.

"What happened to you?" He asked worriedly, his eyebrows scrunched as he looked at her knife wound in the arm.

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. What happened?"

"The girl from two, she threw a knife. but I'm okay and she's dead." She explained as she grabbed the jar of medicine and scooped a glob.

"You shouldn't have gone. you said you weren't gonna go."

She ripped his pants a little more and spread it on his wound. "You got worse. I wasn't gonna sit and let you die."

"You need some of that too." He grunted as he felt the medicine seep into the wound.

"Well, you need it first."

"That feels better." He sighed. He motioned his hand for her to give him the jar. "Give me it."

She handed it to the boy and gingerly he scooped some out and brushed it over her arm.

"Thank you." She whispered.

She stocked into him and settled herself exhausted from her rendezvous.

••

Peeta woke up first in the afternoon. He rubbed her arm and felt the closed wound on her arm. He sat up and said, "Ivy! You're so much better."

Ivy got up quickly and they both looked at his leg. There was a visible line of red from the wound closing but it was healing and that's what mattered.

"Oh my God, Peeta."

"I can hardly feel anything." He laughed in shock.

"We could go home." She smiled at him. "We could, we're the only team left."

"We could go home?" He asked as it dawned on him.

She nodded and he hugged her. They pulled apart and Ivy grabbed the jar of medicine. "Let's get you healed up first though." She scooped some more out and rubbed it along the line with renewed hope for them.

••

"We know thresh took off into the wheat," Peeta said as they trudged through the water. "Cato's most likely gonna be by the Cornucopia. He's not gonna go places he doesn't know. Fox Face, she could be anywhere."

"We should probably hunt around here," Ivy said as she stopped and looked around the woods. Usually, animals were more likely to be around the water and if she couldn't find any right away she could try to stab fish in the water. "We don't have any food left."

"Okay, uh, I'll locate some stuff."

She handed him the wavy knife. "Be careful and watch your back."

He nodded and they separated.

After an hour Ivy couldn't find any land animals so she went to the river. She had a fish tied to the rope and was going for another when she heard the cannon go off. She turned around, panic settling deep in her.

"Peeta?" She ran back to where they separated and saw he had berries on his jacket. She rushed to them and at first glance they looked like blueberries but the purple stain suggested the poison berry Rue had taught her about.

"Peeta!" She yelled now worried he ate some. "Peeta?!" She yelled running in a direction she hoped he'd be in. "Peeta!" She yelled again.

Peeta stopped her when he came around a tree and frowned. "Are you okay?" Peeta asked.

"I heard the cannon!" She almost cried. She hugged him and felt his body as if she couldn't believe she was actually seeing him. She pulled back and looked at his hand and smacked the berries out. "That's nightlock, Peeta! You'd be dead before you could say berries!"

"I- I didn't know." He gaped.

"You scared me to death. Damn you." She hugged him again. "I thought I lost you." She cried. She was so confused with her feelings as she felt them all at once. She was relieved, scared, and worried. The thought of him dead had scared her so much she didn't even want to let him go.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled. "I'm sorry." He hugged her tighter when he felt her trembling. It felt good to know she actually cared and not everything was meant for the cameras but he also felt bad for scaring her half to death.

"I don't want you to leave me." She whispered into his chest for only him to hear. "I let you go last time. I won't again."

••

Peeta and Ivy went back and looked around the area to see if they could find any edible berries when they ran into the body of Foxface. Her lips were stained purple and her skin was pale.

"I never even knew she was following me," Peeta said feeling bad he accidentally killed a kinder tribute.

"She was clever," Ivy said.

"Too clever," Peeta added. "For her own good."

Ivy bent down and collected the berries from her hand as they had disposed of the ones on Peeta's jacket.

"What are you doing?" Peeta asked confused.

"Maybe Cato likes berries too," she said as she looked up at Peeta. She heard the hovercraft coming to pick up the body and left with Peeta. She put the berries in her pocket and wiped her hand off on her pants.

"What time is it?" Peeta asked looking at the sky.

"A little after noon."

"Why is it getting so dark?" He asked confused.

"They're probably in a hurry to end it."

••

They'd eaten the fish Ivy caught and ate quickly, if the game makers were trying to speed up the games then they'd try to push them together.

The thought that they only had two tributes left comforted Ivy in a way. They were close to victory.

As Ivy stamped out the fire they heard what sounded like dogs howling and the screams of Thresh in the wheat field.

"What was that?" Peeta asked even though he knew it was nothing good.

The canon boomed as Ivy said, "It's the finale."

They looked up as the anthem played and showed Thresh's picture. "Let's go."

She was grateful that she didn't have to kill Thresh. His district was kind to her and he had spared her. She only hoped he had a swift death.

"Here. Take this back." Ivy handed him the wavy knife as an eerie feeling settled upon her. They moved slowly through the woods as they got closer to the cornucopia. Cato would be nearby and whatever it was that killed Thresh was more than likely to be released again.

Peeta squinted as he looked back in the forest before a dog jumped him. He quickly shoved his knife into the animal before pushing it off him and scrambling up.

Ivy and Peeta quickly took off to find a way to get past the river without having to swim. More of the mutts chased them as they got closer to the cornucopia. Peeta stopped and dropped his knife as he linked his hands together to help Ivy up.

"Come on." He boosted her up and as soon as she got up she grabbed his hand and yanked him up. His boot just barely missing the mutt's teeth.

She looked down at them for a moment and noticed the one who almost bit Peeta looked a lot like Foxface with orange fur and human-like blue eyes. She frowned as she looked at the rest of the growling animals and noticed they all looked a lot like the dead tributes. Glimmer, Marvel, Rue...

Before she could even comprehend the beasts Cato yanked her back and threw her to the ground.

"I'm dead anyway. Might as well take one of you down." The blonde boy growled.

Peeta got up and tackled Cato as he got closer to Ivy. Cato threw Peeta to the ground and went back after Ivy.

"I always was, right? I didn't know that until now."

Peeta grabbed Cato again and Cato turned him around to knock Ivy back down. He threw Peeta away and ran at Ivy blocking her knife swings.

"No! I can still do this. One more kill."

He knocked it out of her hand and slammed her down to the metal.

"It's the only thing I know how to do. Bring pride to the district."

He wrapped his hands around her throat and just as soon as he grabbed her he was off her and Peeta slammed him against the metal. Cato had no weapon so it was easier to attack knowing he could only use his hands. He used Cato's blood to slip his hand out of his grasp and pushed him off the side and to the mutts.

Cato screamed in agony and Ivy joined Peeta as they tried to regulate their breathing. Ivy walked to where Cato was being mauled and grabbed her two throwing knives. She aimed and threw one hoping it hit good enough. The cries didn't stop so she aimed and threw another one and the screaming came to an end.

The last canon boomed and Ivy sighed. She looked at Peeta and pulled him close as she kissed him. Peeta wrapped his arms around her waist and the two kissed like their lives depended on it.

They only pulled away when the sun started to shine on their skin. They smiled and got out of the cornucopia.

"Attention. Attention Tributes. There has been a slight rule change. The previous provision allowing for two victors from the same district has been revoked." Ivy's jaw dropped as she looked at Peeta, her heart sinking to her chest. "Only one victor may be crowned. Good luck. And may the odds be ever in your favor."

"Peeta..." she whispered not knowing what to do.

He grabbed the knife he dropped and held it out to her. "Go ahead. One of us should go home. One of us has to die. They have to have their victor."

"No." She told him as she put her hand on the blade and pushed it away. "They don't. I don't wanna go back if it means killing you." She pulled out the berries and he stopped her.

"No!"

She realized he must have thought she was gonna take them so she put some in his hand as she said, "Trust me."

"Together?" He asked.

"Together." She nodded.

"Okay." He agreed. "One..." he caressed her cheek as if it was the last time he'd see her.

"Two..." she looked at his hand and then his eyes with a sad smile.

"Three..."

Ivy and Peeta lifted the berries to their mouth when a voice boomed through the arena.

"Stop! Stop!.."

The man sighed into the speaker.

"Ladies and gentlemen. May I present the winners of the 74th Annual Hunger Games."

Ivy choked on her breath as she dropped the berries and hugged Peeta. "We're going home Peeta."

They looked up at the hovercraft and held hands ready to leave the arena.

••

Ivy and Peeta were brought back to the tower they were in before the games and given new clothes. Once they got back to their penthouse they reunited with Haymitch for dinner before they got to see Cinna, Portia, and Effie.

"They're not happy with you," Haymitch told them.

"Because we didn't die?" She muttered.

"Because you showed them up."

"Well, I'm very sorry it didn't go the way they planned," Peeta muttered.

"And we aren't very happy with them either," Ivy added.

"You two this is serious. Not just for you. They don't take these things lightly."

"Go figure," Ivy muttered.

"Tomorrow will be your interview with Caesar. And when they ask, you say you couldn't help yourself. You- you two were so in love that the thought of not being together was unthinkable. You- you'd rather die than not be together. You understand?"

"Well, that shouldn't be hard. I would rather die than lose him again."

"Well that's fine and dandy," Haymitch said waving his hands about. "Dinner should be ready soon." He sighed. "I'm gonna go find some alcohol."

Ivy turned to Peeta and took him to her room. There they lay facing each other just looking at each other.

"You mean it?" Peeta asked. "The kisses were real?"

Ivy smiled at him. "Yes, Peeta. You were my best friend basically and I pushed you away 'cause I didn't want to care anymore but you made me care." She sat up. "I love you Peeta and if my actions haven't shown then I want you to know I don't know what I'd do without you."

He sat up as well and pulled her in for a long passionate kiss.

The butterflies blossomed in her stomach and she straddled him as they kissed.

He broke away for a second to say, "I love you too, Ivy Aurora."

••

Ivy and Peeta got the full cleaning treatment again and were sent to their stylist for their clothes. Cinna and Portia had worked on matching clothes. They decided on blue but while Peeta had a blue suit with gold detailing Ivy had a blue to white ombré dress with gold details.

Ivy thought the dress was cute but it wasn't her style. Apparently, the stylist didn't have much choice for their attire and Snow wanted an innocent look. It was an odd thing to do after killing kids to be there but they couldn't say no to their outfits.

Cinna expressed his happiness to her before he had to let her go to her mentor.

While he watched her walk away he already had wedding gowns pictured in his head.

She met with Peeta and they walked out and greeted the host before sitting down. He welcomed them and waited for the audience to stop cheering before he asked them the first question.

"How did you feel?" Caesar asked. "When you found him by that river?"

"I felt like the happiest person in the world. Like I got a second chance to do right by my best friend."

Peeta reached forward and grabbed her hand in his.

"And what about you, Peeta?"

"There's so many things I could say. The announcement had come just before and she gave me hope. She saved my life. And now we can make one together."

"We saved each other." Ivy corrected him.

The audience awed as they watched the couple speak sweetly.

"And the berries?" The man asked. "What were you thinking in that moment when they had changed the rules?"

"It felt like hell. There was this ringing in my ears and I knew that I was not going to kill him. That I didn't want to go back home without him. But apparently, he thought the same and we were willing to go down together."

She looked down at their hands before back up at him, tears gathering in her eyes.

Peeta smiled at her before answering as well. "It was pretty much the same for me. I mean I volunteered so that I could help her, be there for her perhaps even just to see her for the last time. However in the end she helped me." He laughed and the audience awed at his confession finally understanding why he had volunteered. "I couldn't let her go and the berries were our way to go out together without hurting each other."

"Well, ain't that just heartwarming?" Caesar smiled at the two kids. "Isn't it?" He asked the crowd and they cheered and clapped. He stood up with a bright television smile and gestured to the two. "Ladies and gentlemen. The star-crossed lovers, from District 12, this year's victors of the 74th Annual Hunger Games!"

The crowd cheered again as Ivy and Peeta waved to the people.

••

Ivy and Peeta sat in chairs behind Snow as he grabbed the first crown. The two victors stood up waiting for the crowns.

"Congratulations." He told her. His breath reeked of blood and roses, an odd combination Ivy noted.

"Thank you," she said stoically.

Snow brushed her hair back and noticed the pin of fire with a sword through it. "What a lovely pin."

"Thank you, it's from my district."

"They must be very proud of you."

"They are. So I heard."

Snow walked back to the second crown and picked it up before placing it on Peeta's head.

He walked forward with them following and spoke into the microphone. "May I present to you Ivy Aurora and Peeta Mellark the 74th Hunger Games victors."

The stadium went wild with cheers and whistles and the two victors waved.

••

"So what happens when we get back?" Peeta asked looking at the trees as they passed them on the train.

"I guess we try to forget it. Move on."

Peeta looked at her and said, "I don't wanna forget."

Ivy nodded and laid her head on his shoulder. It took about a day till they got home. But once they got home, all of District 12 stood waiting and cheering for them.

Ivy and Peeta smiled and waved as they linked hands.

"Together?" Ivy asked as Haymitch told them their houses were waiting for them.

"Together." He confirmed.

Thank you all for reading Nepenthe! It will be taking a two-week break every act but I'm close to finishing up catching fire . Hope you enjoyed and I'll see you for the next act 💋