Real (chapter 25-27)

When I first came back to Twelve and showed Katniss the Primroses, I thought she would slap me, yell at me, or declare her hatred. To my surprise, she didn't. She only gave a curt nod and ran back into the house. I thought at first that she wouldn't want to have anything to do with me, but we soon grow close together agian. When the time came that I had worked up the courage to kiss her, it was like the kiss on the beach of the quater quell. I gave her a protection that she had always wanted... needed. So when I asked the question, I already knew the awnser.
"You love me. Real or not real."
She looks straight in to my eyes and whispers," Real."

Can't survive without (Chapter 22-24)

I sit up and gently sip the water that Gale had given me. I should thank him. I don't want to be rude.
"Thanks for the water." I glance up at him and offer a soft smile.
He returns the smile for a second before his face returns to his 'deep in thought' look. "No problem. I wake up ten times a night anyway."
I glance at the fur mound that hides Katniss and see the lightest shift of weight. She's awake... she's listening. "To make sure Katniss is still here?"
Gale glances at Katniss and luckily doesn't notice that Katniss is eavesdropping. Several emotions flash in his eyes. Hurt. Love. Longing. Regret. He shakes his head and turns towards me again. "Something like that."
Neither of us speaks. I can't tell if the silence is comfortable or not, but Gale goes back to watching Katniss intently. I feel a burning sensation form in my gut. I haven't felt this feeling in a while. Jealousy?
"That was funny. what Tigris said. About no one knowing what to do with her."
"Well," Gale flashes me a winning smile, "we never have."
Laughter erupts from my stomach. The sad thing is, that was one hundred percent true. Katniss was a confusing person, to put in nicely. I know now she must be wondering how Gale and I can have a conversation like two old friends. I don't really know myself.
I turn to Gale and he stops laughing as soon as he sees my face. "She loves you, you know," I glance down at my cuffs. "She as good as told me after they whipped you."
Gale lets out a soft chuckle and gives a silent yawn. "Don't believe it." I could see the hurt on his face. "The way she kissed you in the Quarter Quell... well, she never kissed me like that."
The memory flashes in my head and I know he's right, but I shake my head. "It was just part of the show."
He looks up, "No, you won her over. Gave up everything for her. Maybe that's the only way to convince her you love her." He turns his head and I can tell he's blinking away tears. "I should have volunteered to take your place in the first Games. Protect her then."
"You couldn't," I give a shrug, trying to make him feel better. "She'd never have forgiven you. You had to take care of her family. They matter more to her than her life."
"Well, it won't be an issue much longer. I think it's unlikely all three of us will be alive at the end of the war. And if we are, I guess it's Katniss's problem. Who to choose." Gale yawns and hunches his shoulders. "We should get some sleep."
I wiggle into my fur and close my eyes. "Yeah. I wonder how she'll make up her mind."
Gale silently sits up again. "Oh, that I do know." He leans forward and his mouth twist into a small smirk. "Katniss will pick whoever she thinks she can't live without."
I give a curt nod and roll on my side. I know that the words Gale just uttered may have seemed innocent to him, but they probably just sliced through Katniss's heart.

Orange (Chapter 19-21)

I see Katniss crawl from the tent into the open. She turns her attention to me and I focus on my knots, pretending that I haven't noticed her. I can see your face flash with several different emotions. I can tell she's contemplating whether or not to speak to me and I already know she's going to decide on the latter. We sit in silence. Her eyes traveling anywhere but me and my eyes stealing glances of her face light by the moonlight. She looks absolutely stunning. I regret that thought as soon as it enters my head because the throbbing points in my neck begin to burn.
What did you say?
'I called her stunning.'
That dirty mutt is anything, but stunning.
'That's your opinion.'
My opinion is your opinion, Peeta.
I slowly found the tingling spreading through my body and the hatred for Katniss grow along with it. I grip tightly on my knot and squeeze my eyes shut. Trying to will away the hate, but it only makes the tingling increase.
Don't fight it Peeta.
'Y- Yes'
Good. Now Peeta why don't why try and talk to our lovely Mutt.
I glance up at Katniss and find my body sneering instead of smiling, "These last couple of years must have been exhausting for you. Trying to decide whether to kill me or not. Back and forth. Back and forth."
I can see in her face flash angry for a moment, but she takes a breath and looks at me with gentle eyes.
"I never wanted to kill you." I raise an eyebrow and she looks at the dirt. "Except when I thought you were helping the Careers kill me.." She locks eyes with me again and I see an emotion I have only seen once before, on the beach during the my second games. What is it? Love? "After that, I always thought of you as... an ally."
I can feel the tingle begin as soon as she breaks eye contact with me and I know I have to say something before I am completely consumed.
"Ally..." I can feel the tingling spread as my brain registers the word, '" Friend. Lover. Victor. Enemy. Fiancee. Target. Mutt. Neighbor. Hunter. Tribute. Ally. I'll add it to the list of words I use to figure you out." The tingling sensation is fading and Katniss looks beautiful in my eyes once again. "The problem is, I can't tell what's anymore, and what's made up."
I see a stirring in the sleeping group and Finnick's voice rises up. "Then you should ask, Peeta. That's what Annie does."
"Ask who?" I can heart the tenseness and worry in my voice. "who can I trust?"
'More stirring and this time Jackson's voice fills my ears. "Well, us for starters. We're on your squad."
'You're my guards."
"That, too, but you saved a lot of lives in Thirteen. It's not the kind of thing we forget."
Everyone goes silent and I can feel the tingling return. I let out a sigh and know that the tingling can not be stop by silence. A small memory floats into my brain and I can't help the nagging in my head to ask Katniss.
I turn towards Katniss. "Your favorite color... it's green?"
She gives a soft smile. "That's right." She glances back at her hands, trying to think of something to say. "And yours is orange."
I raise an eyebrow. "Orange"
"Not bright orange." She pauses as if trying to conjure up the color in her head. "But soft. Like the sunset. At least, that's what you told me once.'"
"Oh." I close my eyes and a sunset glows in my head. The sun setting over the forest in Twelve. The gentle yellows, pinks, and.... oranges. The tingling stops all together when the sunset pops in my head. For the first time, there is no throbbing points in my neck, no remembrance of the torture I endured at the Capitol, just the orange sunset that rolls over my memories.
"Thank you."
I open my eyes slightly to see Katniss on the verge of tears. "You're a painter. You're a baker. You like to sleep with the windows open. You never take sugar  in your tea. And you always double-knot your shoelaces."
She quickly dives back into the tent before the tears spill over the brim of her eyes.
I smile and close my eyes. I whisper to myself, hoping that no one would hear.
"I love you."

Did you love me? (16-18)

The restraints that held my arms to the bed are starting to feel like a peice of clothing. I know the tube in my arm is to knock me out if I lost control, but I'm not foolish enough to try and attack her when I am pinned down. Right now, the voice says my goal is to make her angry. I need to make her hate me.
Exactly Peeta. Make her boil over with rage.
'I still don't understand why I need to'
So that everyone sees her like we do. So that they know the true Katniss.
I hear a small creak and my eyes dart up to find Katniss slowly approching me.
'She doesn't look evil...'
Don't let her trick you, Peeta.
She standing about a yard away and has her arms crossed protectevily over her mid-section.
She's scared.
'Because you made me choke her.'
I didn't make you do anything.
"Hey." Her voice is the same as I remember and something moves in my heart.
'I miss her'
She tried to kill you, Peeta.
The nightmares flash back into my mind. Those horrible memories from the arena where she tried to kill me so many times. The part of my heart that had warmed by her voice slowly goes cold again, but I know I must reply.
"Hey." I try to keep my voice at a calm level. I must make her mad. This is my only chance
"Haymitch said you wanted to talk to me."
I know what she wants from me. An annocment of my love. An apology for branding her with the title Mutt, but that's not what she's gonna get.
"Look at you for starters."
'She's beautiful.'
Under that desguise is a dirty mutt, Peeta. Remember that.
"You're not very big, are you?"
Or pretty, Peeta. Look at her. Disgusting.
"Or particularly pretty?"
Perfect.
I can see anger in her eyes. Despite my situation, she gets mad like a littly baby. I know that I've hurt her and I feel pride swell up in my chest. Seeing her eyes narrow and her lips purse makes the two points on my neck tingle with excitment.
She takes a breath." Well, you've looked better."
I can't help, but laugh. "And not even remotly nice. To say that to me after all I've been through." My voice starts to turn into a growl and I can feel my body's longing to break out of the retrainst.
'All I want to do is take a swing at those pretty eyes of hers.'
Pretty?
I freeze. 'No... not pretty... ugly and mutt-like.'
Better.
"Yeah. We've all been through a lot. And you're the one who was known for being nice. Not me."
I can feel a smile play on my lips. Perfect. I have right where I want her. She expected a happy reunion and now she's been blindsided by the new me.
The better you.
'The better me.'
"Look, I don't feel well."
Check mate.
"Maybe I'll drop by tommorrow."
Katniss turns and slowly approches the door.
Defeated by the boy with the bread.
'The boy with the bread?'
Suddeny the two points on my neck stop tingling and all I want to do is call out to Katniss. But what to say? I've made her angry. The boy with the bread? The bread! I wiggly slightly in my restraints and lock my eyes on Kaniss.
"Katniss. I remember about the bread."
I feel as if my body is being ripped in two as I recall the bread. One side of me wants to break from the bed and hug Katniss as if I was dying, but the other side wants to break from the bed and strangle her until the last bit of her pathetic life has gone below. I can feel the love that I had for her returning, until she doesn't awnser my question.
"And did you love me?" I ask as I feel tears in my eyes.
Her eyes dart up at me quickly and then resume there postion pointed towards the tile. "Everyone says I did.Everyone says that's why Snow had you tortured. To break me."
"That;s not ann awnser."
I give up then. She's lost her chance and I allow the tingle in my neck to return along with the voice.
Good Peeta. Don't worry now, Darling. You'll have a chance to kill her soon.
I fight beck another smile as Katniss explains herself and her actions in the arena.
 'Good.'

She's a mutt (Chaters 13-15)

I don't fight the restraints that tie me to the bed, but what reason is there anyway? Katniss is gone, I've lost my chance.
'Why are you doing this to me? I don't want to kill her."
Why not Peeta. She's a dirty mutt. She killed your family, Peeta.
'My family?' I can feel my pulse quicken, 'What did you say about my family?'
Shhhh, Peeta, quite, someones coming.
'Its not like they can hear you, idiot'
Who knows what these doctors have done to you.
'Good point...'
I blocked out the voice when I saw a pretty blonde girl enter my hospital room. Who is that? Is she working with the mutt? Why is she in my room? My brain goes foggy again when the voice interrupts my thoughts.
Wow, that's an improvement from the mutt.
'Shut up.'
Whatever, Peeta.
I turn my attention back to the girl, who is crossing the room as if I was some injured animal. I see her smile and I can feel something twinge in the back of my brain. Who is she?
"Peeta?" She whispers gently, "Its Delly. From home"
"Delly" I know that name.
'Who's Delly?'
She's from your district. Imagine her... fatter.
"Delly. It's you."
"Yes!" She seems to let out a sigh, "How do you feel?"
"Awful."
'Here is my chance to get some answers.'
You might not want them.
I ignore the voice and press Delly, "Where are we? What happened?"
Delly gives an aged smile and tells me that we live in Thirteen now.
'Why would we live in thirteen?'
Our lovely Mockingjay wanted your family dead
Delly continues to talk, trying to avoid what happened in Twelve.
'What happened?'
Silence.
'I know you know.'
There was a fire
"There was a fire."
Delly hesitates, "Yes"
And guess whose fault it was, Peeta. IT WAS KATNISS! THE MUTT DID IT! She killed everyone. She destroyed... everything.
"Twelve burned down, didn't it? Because of her."
Yes Peeta. She destroyed everything. Doesn't that make you mad, Peeta?
"Because of Katniss!"
"Oh no Peeta." I can see her back up slightly, "It wasn't her fault."
Don't listen to her. She's lying to them. She tricked Delly.
"Did she tell you that?" My voice is a low hiss
""She didn't have to."
Katniss is a liar
The mutt's a liar
 Shes backing up more, "I was-"
"Because she's lying! She's a lair!"
Good boy
"You can't believe anything she says!"
Tell them Peeta. Tell them what she really is.
"She's some kind of mutt the Capitol created to use against the rest of us!"
Delly looks despriate and lost, "No. Peeta. She's not a-"
Don't let Delly get killed! Katniss will kill her liked she tried to kill you!
"Don't trust her Delly," I shout, I don't want Delly to die. "I did and she tried to kill me. She killed my friends. My family. Don't even go near her! She's a mutt!"
Perfect Peeta.
"A mutt! She's a stinking mutt!"
Delly is pulled out of the that she was slowly making her way towards. I know I only have a few moments before the doctors come back to examine me again. To poke at me and dissect me like some disgusting, useless lab rat.
You know Katniss was watching right, Peeta?
I couldn't help the smile forming on my lips, "Good."

Rescue (Chapters 10-12)

"Get up, Peeta," Johanna wakes me with a kick to the gut.
"Hey," Suddenly it hits me that Johanna is standing in my cell, ""what are you doing here?"
"The guards told me to get you." She shrugs and tosses a large piece of paper my way, "We have to find new cells."
"New cells?"
She gives me another shrug and pulls me to my feet. We follow the map without a word and soon find small, empty cells.
"They're small," I say after walking the length of the first cell.
"They don't have any turtore devises." Johanna adds, the relief apparent in her voice, "The guards said to pick two cells, because the rest of us will be coming."
"Us?"
""Beats me," Johanna gives a third shrug, "just pick a cell."
I sigh and pick the first cell in the row. Once Johanna makes it clear that she doesn't want to talk, I settle down and stare at the stone ceiling.
When the other prisoners come in, I can neither see them or speak to them due to a stern warning from a burly, short-tempered guard. He leans against the wall outside my cell and watches me with narrow, heavily hooded eyes. After what seems like eternity, he kicks off the wall and leaves without a sound.
'Why is he leaving?'
They have arrived
'Who?'
The voice has no chance to answer when we hear the first bang. I hear shouts, screams, and the scuffle of boots and soon the face of Gale Hawthorne peering through the bars.
"What are you doing here?" I ask, gritting my teeth.
"I'm here to rescue you." He jingles a key in my face and pulls the bars open.
The only thing I want right now is to punch him the face, but I keep my composure and follow him as he menovers the hallways with ease. We soon reach a surface and he ushers me into a hovercraft where we are transported to District 13.
'That was... easy'
President Snow wants Katniss to see the new you
'The new me?'
You'll see soon
*************************************************************************************************************
The rest of the next couple days go by in a blur. They scan me and check me into the hospital and people come in and out, asking me questions and probing me with needles. The world was a big white blur, until she came into my view.
A push away the trio of doctors examining me and move swiftly towards her. She looks the same, long brown hair and seam grey eyes.
'My mission. My mission.'
She extend out to me.
Good Peeta. Don't forget the mission.
'my mission. My mission'
I reach out my hands and lock them around her throat.
'I will kill the capitol mutt Katniss. That is my mission.'

Blood on the tiles (Chapter nine)

"Come with me," I raise my eyes to see President Snow standing above me, "now"
He turns on his heel and walks out my cell door. I scramble to my feet with a moan of pain and scamper after him. We reach the interview stadium, where I was a couple days ago.
Four days to be exact.
'Pardon?'
Four days without food, water or sunlight.
President Snow points to an elevated stool in front of a map. He leans in close to my face.
"Listen boy, get this right and the mutt can die alright?"
"Katniss?"
"Yes Katniss, Peeta." His face contorts into a smile, "We'll blow her sky high."
 A few stylist flock around me and decorate my face. They are shooed of stage just as the cameras begin to roll. My leg starts to tap as I point out places of damage on the map. I feel my blood pulse and rage fill me as the voice inside my head whispers in my ear.
This is all Katniss's fault. Peeta, she is doing this to you. She is making them hurt you. Its all her fault. She's a beast. She's a mutt.
Mutt
Mutt
Mutt
Suddenly President Snow's words hit me. They'll blow her sky high?
'They are going to kill her!'
Good riddance
"Any parting thoughts for Katniss Everdeen." President Snow looks at me with warning eyes.
I can feel my face twist with anger and slight insanity, "Katniss... how do you think this will end?" I try my hardest to maintain composure as I speak, but its obvious I am failing, "And you... in Thirteen," I take in a sharp breath as my lungs burn with invisible water, "Dead by morning!"
That was a mistake.
Before I have time to take in my words, I hear President Snow shout to end the broadcast. I try to speak again  to tell her to run and hide, but a security guard knocks the camera to the floor. I know what's coming next. I hear someone running behind me and feel a crushing blow to my head. Black starts to fill my line of sight, but just before I give way to it, I see the white tiles stained with my blood.
'I will kill Katniss. It is my mission.'
Good boy.