Fighting For Us.

Seven.

"This is a drill. Please find your loved ones and report to your sectors imminently. Your loved ones will be escorted to their sectors within minuets. This is a drill. Please find your loved ones and report to your sectors imminently. Your loved ones will be escorted to their sectors within minuets." It jolts me awake, and I pull Peeta from the bed and we dress.

I meet Gale in the hallway, grabbing his hand as we run for the underground. "This way!" I instruct pulling them along as we reach the drop down and I go first and then stand impatiently waiting for the boys.

I help a young girl down, and then we rush off to the bunks. We reach the beds and I fall down onto it; the boys collapsing beside me and breathing heavily.

I catch my breath and sit back up, only to find that everyone's eyes are already on us three. I nod to most of them, and finally an instructor comes and stands in the middle of the beds; which of course happen to be right next to us.

"Soldiers; it took us nine whole minuets to get you all evacuated. We need to reduce that time to at least six minuets. If this was a real emergency, we could have thousands dead and we can't afford that. We barely have enough people with us as it is, we can't stand to lose any." Everyone exchanges some weird uncomfortable glances and he huffs "Doe anyone have any questions?" No answer so e dismisses them according to bed and bunker number. "You three." He points to us. "Stay here alright?"

"Alright." Gale speaks for us.

Once everyone's gone he hands us a small white badge. And he begins to clip them to the pocket above our left breast. "What's this for?" I ask looking down to watch the man pin the badge to my chest.

"It'll grant you access to any room or thing in this entire district." I lift my shirt to look at the badge.

A pentagon shape, white with three black stripes on the bottom. A large number 'fourteen' written in the middle. "Why that number?" I ask him.

"That's the district." He explains not looking at me.

"No, we're in district seven." I say with a light chuckle. "that's what Andler said."

"Come on, walk with me." I walk along side him with my hand in Peeta's hand. "This technically is district seven, but that's the above half. The underground half, the part that no one knows about; that's district fourteen."

"You people are growing more insane everyday." Gale speaks.

"the council voted on it, they agreed it was a great we innovative idea that we have put in place."

"Well maybe the council needs slapped up side the head." I reach around Peeta and punch Gale in the side.

"Behave." I warn with a suspicious gaze.

"I'm just saying, why do we need another district when the ones we have now are still going to shit."

"This district is a military district." The tall man notes as he holds a door for us and we walk through it waiting for him on the other side.

"That's what they said about thirteen, now look at it: a total shithole with almost no one living there today." This times it's Peeta who speaks up.

"Peeta!" I scold quietly and nudge him angrily a bit.

"Oh no ma'am, it's fine. Trust me. Everyone is entitled to their opinion."

"Well I'm sorry." I apologize anyways.

"Where are we going?" Gale asks him.

"The producing room, time to start filming propos." He smiles with bright teeth. "I heard today they want you and Peeta, I'm betting they'll want Gale in some of them sometime soon, so don't get too discouraged." He explains.

We enter a room, and two men and a woman sit behind a large panel of stretched out control boards with many knobs, buttons, switches, and sliding adjusters. The smallest man approaches us, and puts his hands on my hanging arms. "Look at you!" He squeals with excitement. "Our beautiful, strong mockingjay!"

"Isn't she riveting?" The woman asks. "And the boy." She nods towards Peeta.

"He'll be fine for now." The man sitting replies as he lowers his dark tinted glasses to look upon us. "He'll do for the first couple, then we'll look into it."

They nod, understanding fully what the man is speaking of. I'd ask what they were talking about, but it's none of my business and I need to make a good impression. "So..." The woman cheers happily. "Hair and makeup for the both of you, then we start filming. How bout it?"

Peeta and I exchange a glance. And then both nod looking back at the woman and men standing before us. "Well let's go."

***

"This feels all too familiar." Peeta sighs as we hold hands between the chairs as they do our makeup.

"I know." I breath.

"Only difference is, we have real makeup, not that fake animal material crap they had in district thirteen during the war." The stout woman smirks to her colleague as they smear makeup onto our faces. "We'll make you two look great, not like some swamp monster." I can't help but hold back my laughter.

"What are we doing this propo?" I ask trying to take the attention off of us.

"I think just some speaking." She explains.

"Can I ask a question?" I start and they eye me suspiciously before nodding. "what were you guys talking about when you said Peeta will do, and he'll be fine for now?" I ask them.

"Well obviously the male love interest in your life needs to be handsome."

I cough, almost instantly choking on the collected spit in my mouth. "What are you talking about? Peeta's incredibly handsome, and also he's the father of my child. All of Panem knows that Peeta and I are married. I can't just go off and be with another man. I won't do it."

"You don't really have to, just for the cameras. He'll be the Mr. Mockingjay."

"No." I persist. "Peeta is the only man in my life, I'll back out. Won't me randomly begin with another man make me look like some sort of slut? The Panem entirety will hate me, coming at me with pitchforks and torches." I insist.

"Not necessarily. They may love your will to be rebellious. Always change the game and break the rules, they may want to stand with the mockingjay even more willingly."

"I can't." I finally steal a glance at Peeta. "I don't want to."

"Katniss, I hate to say it but she may have a point."

"Peeta. I don't want to!" I cry loudly.

"Please, it'll all be okay. I'm not angry, I won't ever be angry with you."

I cry louder, and everything begins to spin around me. I fall onto the groud, my head pounding. How could he just want me to go and be with another man? I clutch my head in my hands.

My vision darkens, and I pass out. Hoping I won't wake back up.