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It all happened so fast.

She had been curled up in the back of the plane, watching Peeta sleep. Not sleep really. But she could pretend he was asleep.

The images she had seen...she couldn't get them out of her mind. She was glad that they had put her and Peeta into a seperate hoover craft. Away from Gale, and conversations she didn't want to have.

About how bad that place was.

About the fact that Peeta had been down there. And Johanna. And Annie. And who knew how many other people they hadn't been able to rescue. Cinna? Effie? Portia?

Being alone to watch Peeta in his unconscious state was about the only thing that saved her. Because when she woke up after the huge flash of light and deafening sound that exploded out of nowhere, the back end of the hovercraft was upside down, and some distance away from what remained of the front end.

Which was not much.

She sat up, body aching and head spinning. It took a moment to orient herself, and might have taken longer if her mind hadn't lighted on one thought.

Peeta.

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It was luck for Katniss that he was so slow, because it wasn't until he was almost on her that she realized that that bar was meant for her.

There wasn't time to get back, so she threw her arm up, protecting her head, if nothing else. The pain shot through her, intense and red hot, reverberating all through her body and she screamed out, before getting a hold of her self.

"Peeta, what the hell?!"

"Don't pretend you know me!" He shouted back. He came at her again, swinging the bar over his head to bring down on her, his eyes wild and wide.

This wasn't going well.

She had to disarm him. And get him away from here. And figure out what the hell was going on. But she was pretty sure that one would have to come last.

Ducking down from the next swing, she dashed behind him, looking for something, anything to restrain him.

The steel sent a resounding bang through out their small wrecked hover craft.She was much faster than him. And it scared him more than he'd realized.

His mind raced, crying out in pain as his head throbbed. Peeta stumbled over his prosthetic, falling to the side, but the bar still in his hand. His other hand was holding his head though, eyes squinting at her. He didn't have a chance. He swung his weapon in her direction as many times as he could, trying to land a blow he know would never hit.

She skipped easily away from his blows, busting open an emergency hatch and throwing it's content around. A flare gun, a first aid kid and a handful of rations packs were quickly stuffed down her shirt, until she saw the thing she needed most.

A rope.

Yanking it out, she thought back to the most basic snare, looking over at Peeta as her hands move quickly.

Peeta saw the rope, his eyes widening. This really was it. This thing was going to get him and hang him for his supposed crimes. His hand swung the bar again before getting half a mind, and throwing it at her. It was his last defense in that regard before he tried to stand again, failing multiple times.

It banged into her hip, painfully, but right now she wasn't worried about that. She could deal with bruises, and possible breaks later.

Right now she needed to get them out of here.

She had never tried this before. Gale had shown her how he could do it, but she had only laughed. When would she eve need to lasso a rabbit. But the rope was knotted, the snare made, and it was the only hope she had right now.

Well, Peeta was a whole lot bigger than a rabbit. But here went nothing.

She tossed the rope towards him.

It caught him with ease. He was in no position to fight, just trying to steady himself over the debris when it caught and snagged him. On instinct, when he saw it coming for him, he pulled back, so when it landed around him the knot tightened around his torso and arms.

This was it.

Peeta jerked harder, fighting for his life against the rope. It couldn't end here!itcouldn'tnotnownotnow...

The words spun in his head until he couldn't think straight, screaming in distress.

Shit.

"Please, Peeta, please just shut up or the people who shot us will find us."

He was bad enough getting silently through the woods. But with him screaming his head off? There was no chance.

Still. They could stay here. Testing her rope, she headed for the trees, pulling on him to come with her. Hoping to everything this works.

His screamed his throat raw as the moved into the cover of the trees, having to stop finally, feeling dizzy and sick. Why hadn't she come after him? A different kind of torture.

They were the only ones here. There was nothing but a brutal end for him. Peeta fell to his knees, not caring if she has to drag him, his whole body pulsing with a sharp pain.

"Let me go," he begged, hands tightened to fists.

Oh god, if he dug his heels in like the the whole way, they weren't going to get anywhere. Peeta had to weight 200 pounds or more (and she ignored the voice in her mind whispering not anymore) and she could not carry him through the woods. She just...couldn't.

And not even knowing what was wrong with him...she stared down at him, trying to thing around this.

Finally an idea occurred. A bad one, but the only one she had right now.

"Come with me, behave, and I'll be gentle."

"Just kill me if you're going to do it," He says, head down, thoughts still a whirlwind in his head. If she wasn't going to release him here, he wanted to die. He didn't want to go any further than this spot.

Frustrated, she let out a huff, glaring at him. This approach might not work out. Still, she needed to get them away from the fire, the smoke, the obviouse scar on the forest.

"I'm in charge Mellark. Move it." She snapped.

Shaking, he stood. She had all of the control here. Even if he wanted to keep screaming and resisting, he bet she had ways to make him do what she wanted even if he did.

He stared at the ground, waiting to be led to his death bed.

That was actually working?

Well, she wasn't going to complain. They needed to get miles from here by dusk tonight. And from the looks of things, they only had a few hours till then.

Still, she felt bad bossing him around. Especially when something was so clearly wrong with him. But there was no choice right now.

"Come on. Look for caves, rock out cropping, any place we can take shelter."

Oh shit.

"Stay here."

Stay here. We need to move. So many mixed signals coming from him. Peeta's head spun for a moment before he came back to reality, "If you let me go...I'm going to run."

He's not sure why he told her. Nothing made sense. He could have kept it to himself. Maybe she wasn't even planning that. He had just...reacted.

Son of a bitch.

Fine, then. She dragged him back to the wreckage, pulling out the bow and arrows she had been equip with for this mission, as well as a knife. Hesitating at the gun, she finally left it behind.

Not knowing what was going on with Peeta, she didn't want a gun near him.

"Now come on. We need to cover lots of territory."

Peeta follows her soundlessly now, staring at the ground and getting lost in his head. Everything involving Katniss in the past was a horrible memory filled with blood and hate.

He wanted her dead for the crimes and murders she committed. The switch flickered in his head. She needed to die. He couldn't be passive. Blue eyes dark, he looks up at her, planning his escape and her death.

This wood was so familiar and so not. The trees, the vegetation were similar. Even the lay of the land.

But how many hundred's of miles did the forest around 12 extend? How long was it similar enough to count as "like home"?

And how far could they go before finding anything? Were here and Peeta going to spend the rest of their lives living in the woods?

They could. She was pretty sure. If she could figure out what was wrong with him.

For now she just lead him away. Away from 13's possible rescuer, yes. But also away from the Capitol forces that shot them down.

He tried to walk faster. But his prosthetic held him back. He knew, if he could just catch up to her, he could accomplish what he'd decided to do.

His eyes stared daggers into her back, and yet he kept walking. His own mind made little sense to him lately. Do one thing, want another. He winced, hissing through his teeth and a pain stabbed through his head again and again.

The pace was too fast.

She did this too him. Pushed him to move faster than her. And with whatever was wrong with him...they needed a break.

There was a small brook running along in the bramble to their left, and when Katniss saw an opening in the bushes, low, she stopped, and ducked into it.

Just as she'd hoped there was a covered little clearing, just barely tall enough for her to stand straight, with rocks big enough that the brook bubbling between them left the smooth and dry.

"Let's take a break. Drink."

The pace was grueling, and he couldn't help but feel as if she had figured out what he had planned to do. His fists clenched behind his back, his rage and fear grew out of control.

He stayed still and silent-blood. his own. finnick's. beetee's. joanna's. she was covered in it, continuing to just look are her. Dark circles were under his eyes, and his fore head had a gash in it that he'd only just noticed.

The fatigue was catching up on him. He hadn't eaten in days and hadn't slept in just as many. Peeta stumbled forward as he got closer to Katniss, his eyes still on her. He had to do this, for everyone-she slit her throat. katniss slit rue's throat-that she had hurt.

Moving light on her feet, she leap to a rock across the stream from Peeta and crouched down, watching him.

Whatever was wrong with him, she still didn't like the way he was looking at her. If he was still in shock, or whatever it was...she wasn't going to take any more risks that she had to.

"How are you doing?"

"You should be dead," Peeta spat at her, not holding back the hate and resentment he held for her. Did he hold it for her--a kiss on a beach, passionate something unreal--or...?

The spike of pain is so intense this time, he falls to his knees, doubled over in pain. He doesn't understand anything. Terrible memories, sweet tender memories...they blur together. What's real and what's not. He can't tell the difference anymore.

Caught between wanting to pull back at the hatred he was spewing, and wanted to go forward at the pain he was in, to sooth him, she instead ended up slowly moving forward. Made sure her feet were secure, and that she could jump back if needed.

Trying not to think about this. About the hate seething off him.

"Peeta, what's wrong?"