☆°.˙ ▍𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐘𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐃𝐀𝐘

⎰𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫⎱

          𝐅𝐋𝐄𝐔𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓. No matter how big the bomb Peeta Mellark had blasted, the Games were still on. The suit that all the Tributes had to wear was light, not thermal. Fleur's stylist guessed that the Arena would be tropical or at least be very, very hot.

          Once she was lifted into the pedestal, she saw that there were strips of land dividing the Tributes and in between each strip there was water and a Tribute standing on their pedestal. Fleur sighed when she realized that the only way to get to the Cornucopia was to swim.

          Once the gong had sounded, Fleur knew that she had to get to the Cornucopia quickly. She jumped off her pedestal and into the water. It wasn't a clean dive and left her chest feeling like it had been slapped. Her eyes started to burn, causing her to realize this wasn't fresh water. She wasn't the best at swimming but propelled herself forward as strongly and as fast as she could.

          Just before she reached the Cornucopia, the female tribute from District Ten pushed Fleur's head down under the water causing Fleur to let out a scream.

          The scream Fleur had let out caused Finnick to turn his head and see that Fleur was attempting to push off the Tribute so she could breathe.

         "Fleur." Finnick said in horror and before Katniss could object, Finnick jumped into the water and had swam over to where the two tributes were struggling.

          He plunged his trident into the back of the tribute causing her to go limp and let go of Fleur as her blood started to turn the water around him and Fleur red. Finnick grabbed Fleur and quickly pulled her to dry land where Katniss, Peeta and Mags were standing.

          Fleur started to cough as she filled her lungs back with air. Finnick grabbed her arm and pulled her up as Mags climbed onto his back and Katniss handed Peeta some weapons. Then the group started running towards the jungle. Fleur knew that they had planned to go there before she had come along, so she didn't ask any questions.

          After a while of running up a steep incline and having shortness of breath, Finnick finally requested a break. Fleur gave Finnick a knowing look, she knew that the rest was mainly for Mags and maybe even her rather than himself. Oh, also for a 'pregnant' Katniss.

          "Fleur, are you alright? Seeing as you almost died." Finnick questioned as Fleur leaned against a tree.

          "Just peachy." Fleur replied as she let out a soft sigh.

          "God, it's hot. We gotta find fresh water." Peeta stated, speaking everyone's thoughts.

          Suddenly three cannons being shot were heard, marking more Tributes' deaths, causing Finnick to smile.

          "Well, I guess they're not holding hands anymore." Finnick stated with a chuckle.

          "You think that's funny?" Katniss questioned, almost angrily. 

          "Every time that cannon goes off it's music to my ears. I don't care about any of them." Finnick replied. 

          Fleur glanced at him with a knowing look, seeing the worry hidden in his eyes. He might not care for majority of them, but Johanna was still out there. 

          Katniss looked at him disapprovingly before grabbing her bow. "Good to hear." The younger girl replied. 

          "Wanna face the career pack alone? What would Haymitch say?" Finnick asked as he pushed Fleur behind him slightly, incase Katniss decided to attack. 

          "Haymitch isn't here." Katniss replied.

          "What's going on down there, Katniss? Have they all joined hands? Taken a vow of nonviolence? Tossed the weapons in the sea in defiance of the Capitol?" Finnick questioned Katniss as both Peeta and Fleur watched the two warily.

          "No." Katniss replied

          "No." Finnick repeated. "Because whatever happened in the past is in the past. And no one in this arena was a victor by chance." He eyed Peeta for a moment. "Except maybe Peeta." Finnick added.

          "And. . . me." Fleur added.

          Both Finnick and Katniss held each other's gaze, thinking of all the scenarios of how they could win if a fight broke out. Immediately Peeta stepped in between them to prevent a fight as Fleur lightly touched Finnick's arm to stop him from doing something he'll regret.

          "So how many are dead?" Peeta questioned.

          "Maybe six, could be a little more seeing as they're still fighting." Fleur replied.

          "Let's keep moving. We need water." Peeta stated.

          "Better find some soon." Finnick replied "We need to be undercover when the others come hunting us tonight."

          Fluer nodded, the absence of water intensifying her thirst. She swallowed thickly to soothe her parched throat. After about another mile, Fleur gets the feeling that something was going to go wrong, but she wasn't sure how.

          It seemed that Katniss realized what was wrong as her eyes widened and she yelled for Peeta to stop. "Peeta, no!" Katniss exclaimed as Peeta's machete swung to cut some vines.

          A sharp zapping sound was heard and for an instant, the trees are gone and everyone can see an open space over a short stretch of bare earth. Then Peeta was flung back from the force field, bringing Fleur to the ground.

          Katniss ran over to Peeta, who was unconscious. "Peeta? He's not breathing! He's not breathing! He's not breathing!" Katniss exclaimed as she started to panic.

          Finnick propped Mags against a tree and pushed Katniss out of the way. "Let me." His fingers touched points at Peeta's neck, ran over the bones in his ribs and spine. Then he pinched Peeta's nostrils shut.

          "No!" Katniss yelled as she attempted to hurl herself at Finnick.

          Fleur, realizing what Finnick was doing, grabbed Katniss and pulled her back, away from Finnick and Peeta. Katniss started to struggle against Fleur's grip as Finnick put his lips to Peeta's and blew air into his lungs. Then Finnick unzipped the top of Peeta's jumpsuit and began to pump the spot over his heart with the heels of his hands.

          Katniss, realizing that Finnick was attempting to save Peeta, not kill him, stopped struggling against Fleur's grip and watched hopefully. Suddenly Peeta gave a small cough and Finnick moved back, sitting next to Fleur.

          Katniss flung herself as her 'husband' and brushed his hair away from his eyes. "Peeta?" Katniss questioned softly.

          "Careful." Peeta replied weakly. "There's a force field up ahead."

          Katniss started to laugh as tears still ran down her cheeks.

          "Must be a lot stronger than the one on the Training Center roof." Peeta stated. "I'm all right, though. Just a little shaken."

          "You were dead! Your heart stopped!" Katniss exclaimed before she started to sob.

          "Well, it seems to be working now. It's all right, Katniss. Katniss?" Peeta asked in worry as his District Partner couldn't stop sobbing.

          "It's okay. It's just her hormones." Finnick stated.

          "Yeah, from the baby." Fleur replied, both of them knowing very well that there was no baby.

          Katniss glanced at the two seeing that Finnick was leaning slightly on Fleur's shoulder as he was still panting slightly from the climb and reviving her District Partner.

          "No. It's not — " Katniss attempted to say before her sobs cut her off.

         Both Fleur and Finnick exchanged glances of slight confusion before coming to the same realization. Katniss Everdeen loved Peeta Mellark, whether she knew so or not.

         "How are you?" Finnick asked Peeta. "Do you think you can move on?"

          "No, he has to rest." Katniss replied.

          "So you want to make camp here, then?" Fleur asked for confirmation.

          "I don't think that's an option." Peeta replied. "Staying here. With no water. No protection. I feel all right, really. If we could just go slowly."

          "Slowly would be better than not at all." Fleur replied as she gave a soft smile to the two District Twelve members.

          "I'll take the lead." Katniss announced.

          Peeta started to object but Finnick cut him off. "No, let her do it." He frowned at Katniss. "You knew that force field was there, didn't you? Right at the last second? You started to give a warning." Katniss nodded in conformation. "How did you know?"

          "I don't know. It's almost as if I could hear it. Listen." Katniss replied as everyone became still. There was the sound of insects, birds, the breeze in the foliage.

          "I don't hear anything." Peeta stated.

          "Uh. . . Neither do I." Fleur replied as she strained to hear whatever Katniss was talking about.

          "Yes, it's like when the fence around District Twelve is on, only much, much quieter." Katniss insisted causing everyone to listen again intently. "There!" Katniss exclaimed. "Can't you hear it? It's coming from right where Peeta got shocked."

          "I don't hear it, either." Finnick replied. "But if you do, by all means, take the lead."

          "That's weird." Katniss stated as she turned her head side to side. "I can only hear it out of my left ear."

          "The one the doctors reconstructed?" Peeta questioned.

          "Yeah." Katniss replied as she shrugged. "Maybe they did a better job than they thought. You know, sometimes I do hear funny things on that side. Things you wouldn't ordinarily think have a sound. Like insect wings. Or snow hitting the ground."

          Mags nudged Katniss forward, so she took the lead. Since they were going to be moving slowly, Mags preferred to walk with the aid of a branch Finnick quickly fashioned into a cane for her. He made a staff for Peeta as well. Finnick was in the back, so if need be, he could defend them.

          Katniss walked with the force field to her left to hear it and she started to throw some nuts at it as well. After the nuts hit the force field, they would become black and land on the ground, making it a good way to see where the force field was.

          Fleur started to chuckle softly when she realized that Mags was eating the nuts. She knew that Mags wouldn't be eating them if she knew it was poisonous so she trusted the older woman's judgment.

          "Mags!" Katniss exclaimed. "Spit that out. It could be poisonous."

          Mags ignored the younger girl and licked her lips as if the nuts were relishing. Katniss looked to Finnick for help but he just laughed.

          "I guess we'll find out." Finnick stated with a chuckle.

          They all kept walking, tossing the nuts, sometimes catching a glimpse of the force field, trying to press to the left to find a spot where they can break through, get far away from the Cornucopia, and hopefully find water.

The Games have begun!