Can't Pretend: Peeta Mellark

JUNI ALLARD

"Minimal charring." Beetee spoke as the group made it through the jungle, before the tree. "It's an impressive conductor. Let's get started. Typically a lightening strike contains five billion joules of energy. We don't want to be anywhere in the vicinity when this hits. Joanna, Katmiss and Alaric, you three go together now. Take this. Unspool it carefully. Make sure the entire coil is in the water. You understand? Then head to the tree at 2:00 sector. We'll meet you there."

"I'm gonna go with them as a guard." Peeta announced while Alaric kept her eyes on Juni. She knew he would be save with Finnick so she didn't need to worry.

"No, no, no. You're staying here to protect me." Beetee remarked making Alaric laugh slightly. "And the tree." Beetee added clearing his throat.

"There are two Careers out there. I need three guards." Beetee continued while Alaric watched confused. "Finnick and Juni can protect you." Peeta remarked "Yeah, why can't Finnick and Johanna stay with you and Peeta, Ric, and I'll take the coil?" Katniss added.

"You all agreed to keep me alive till midnight, right?" Beetee asked giving the younger tributes a knowing look.

"It's his plan. We all agreed to it." Johanna shrugged keeping her eyes on Juni. "Is there a problem here?" Finnick spoke looking towards Katniss while Juni watched amused.

"Excellent question." Beetee agreed causing all eyes to go on Katniss. "No." Katniss said quietly. "There's no problem."

"Jun remember what I told you." Alaric begged, "I know Ric I know." Juni smiled reassured holding his axe in there air. "I love you, you asshole." Alaric chuckled hugging the boy before walking with Johanna and Katniss.

"All right, let's go!" Johanna called out. Katniss turned, walking with her as the coil drug behind her.

"Katniss we can trust Johanna okay." Alaric smiled reassuringly, the Everdeen girl hesitated before nodding slowly.

Juni walked with Peeta, "I saw you kiss my sister." Juni stated swinging his axe around playfully. "I personally thought you were a a bit of dick before."

"And now?" Peeta questioned chucking softly, "kinda less now I guess." Juni mumbled a small smile on his face. "This was honesty so stupid for President snow."

"What do you mean?" Peeta questioned as they walked together. "He put a bunch of people who already won and know how to play the games together and he really thinks only one is gonna survive." Juni scoffed

"And that guy has had a weird obsession with Alaric since she won her games. He's always sending white roses to our place. It creeps me out." Juni said faking a dramatic shiver.

"But back to what I was originally saying I know you're a nice guys and I'm just saying don't hurt her she's go-"

Juni was cut off by lightening striking the tree not too far behind them, the electricity strong and blowing them back in return.

Juni hit a tree toward the right, unaware where Peeta had landed. The boy groaned holding his ribs blood coming from his stomach, "Peeta." Juni spoke groaning, the boy had definitely broken some ribs.

No Peeta.

"Peeta!" Juni called louder, leaning on the tree for support before he saw a light, a bright one.

For a second, he kinda assumed he died. But, Juni knew there were things was then death.

The arena was being torn apart, falling and crashing around him. And then remembered the most important thing to him. "Alaric!" Juni screamed.

Alaric looked up turning around realizing Katniss and Johanna were no where to be seen. She didn't care anymore she needed to find Juni,

"Juni!" Alaric shouted before someone placed a hand over her mouth making her scream. "Quiet." Finnick whispered from behind Alaric.

"Where are they?" Alaric asked turning around, "I'm sorry." Finnick whispered wrapping his arms around the woman.

Finnick took a deep before grabbing a needle from his pocket stabbing it into Alaric's neck, "no." Alaric whispered feeling her whole body go limp.

A hovercraft flew it, another, and one more. Juni sat up slowly, clutching his rib cage as everything began shaking around him.

"Alaric." Juni whispered blood coming from his mouth. The boy turned around seeing Finnick who carried his sister. She was safe and that was all that matter.

The peacekeepers were heading his way, there was no point in trying to fight them, he had broken ribs, blood was coming from his nose there was absolutely no point in fighting.

The 15 year old turned to look at peacekeepers as he raised his arms to his side. She was safe and that made all of this worth it for him.

The peacekeeper grabbed Juni's arms handcuffing them, the boy had a dead expression on his face while on the inside he was thankful, happy even.

His sister wouldn't have to go through the pain that Juni already knew was going to come when he made it to the capital.

"District 11 Male captured." The peace maker announced

Juni was injected with a needle in his neck, the boy let out one last scream before his vision began going blurry feeling his body being dragged onto the hovercraft and flown to the only place he knew. The Capital.

When Alaric eyes opened the first person who she was hoping to find wasn't there. "Alaric." A voice whispered

"Where is he?" Alaric asked her voice sounding hoarse. "Where is my brother Haymitch?"

"Johanna had taken yours and Katniss's trackers out we couldn't Juni or Peeta. Alaric-Alaric I am so sorry." Haymitch whispered only for the girl to throw a punch at him right in the jaw.

Tears came from the girls eyes before she threw two more punches at the man she would have once called her father.

"Alaric that's enough." Finnick spoke only for Haymitch to point at the boy from District 4. "Finnick. Stay out of it." Haymitch demanded blood coming from his mouth as Alaric continued hitting the man until he was on his knees.

Finnick stared at all the blood coming from the past victors mouth. "Thats enough." Finnick stated only for Alaric to push him onto the wall.

"I begged you!" Alaric screamed as she continued to hit Haymitch. "I begged you to make sure he was safe!" Alaric cried looking at Haymitch as Finnick pulled her away from Haymirch who had blood all over his face. "You're dead to me."

Alaric shook her head pushing Finnick off of her and walking away to she didn't even know where. All she knew was that she couldn't be in the same room as them.

Hours had passed and Finnick had showed Alaric where room was so that where she had been for hours just staring at the wall.

"Alaric." Haymitch whispered, he had cleaned off all of the blood that was once all over his face. "Get out." Alaric demanded her voice having absolutely no emotion in it.

"Alaric I thought you were dead." Haymitch stated, "Alaric is dead." Alaric mumbled "she died when you sent my brother and Peeta to their deaths."

"Please don't say that." Haymitch begged dropping his dead, "Alaric, okay I'm your father."

This caused Alaric to finally turn her head to look at Haymitch. "Why do you think you're still alive?"