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"Is this our future, then, Doctor?"

Rose stared at the skyscraper looming before them. 'The Training Center', they called it. Camera crews surrounded the base of the building, talking animatedly about the Quarter Quell. Their outfits were, quite frankly, ridiculous. Hair of all colors, skin dyed bright shades, silvery tattoos winding up their arms and legs… Rose tugged at the hem of gold skirt and adjusted the purple wig atop her head. The Doctor had insisted they dress to fit in. His own hair had been colored a bright blue.

"Basically, yes," he mused, hands shoved in the pockets of his red, diamond studded coat.

"But it's sick!" Rose exclaimed, gesturing to the citizens scurrying around, watching the large televisions the games were being presented on. "There are kids, and they have to kill each other, and everyone is just watching like it's a football game. Can't we do something?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Anything I could possibly do has already been done by someone else."

"What'd you mean?"

"Katniss Everdeen, the tribute from the twelfth district, has put into motion a revolution, the likes of which have never been seen before. It's quite astonishing that she did all of this without meaning to." The Doctor turned away from the tower and began to walk back towards where they had left the TARDIS. Rose followed him, running to keep up with his swift pace.

"Can't we help with the revolution at all?" she asked as the Doctor unlocked the blue box and stepped inside. Though she'd been his companion for a while now, the control room still never failed to amaze her.

"It's best if we don't interfere too much," he muttered, a sad expression crossing his ageless face. "This is the turning point for mankind. Sometimes, it's better to let them sort things out for themselves. That's how they learn, you know."

This struck Rose as strange. The Doctor lived to help people. It's what he does best. He helped the humans because he seemed to feel he had to protect them, like they were his own children. He would never just leave them like this.

"Doctor, what's going on?"

He smiled at her, slipping his coat off and tossing it on a chair.

"Now, I know I said we shouldn't meddle, but I think it's safe to give Katniss a little push in the right direction, don't you?"

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Peeta's face is securely locked in my vision. He is all I can think of in this moment. I know who the real enemy is here. I just need to act now.

I'm twirling an arrow between my fingers when everything changes.

Time froze - literally. There is no sound, besides my own, heavy breathing. The lightning blot had just begun to descend from the sky to strike the tree, but it is suspended in the air. Beetee is absolutely still next to me. Dead? I don't know.

Peeta. Once again, his face swims before me. I can feel the weight of the pearl in the parachute. I can taste his lips on mine. It was like having an extra, small moment with him right before I died.

'The arrow, Katniss. The wire,' a voice whispers in the back of my mind. It is an unfamiliar voice, but it comforts me. It makes me think of space, the stars, time…

Tick, tock. This is a clock.

And I know exactly what to do.

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Author's Note: This came from an anonymous prompt on Tumblr, in which the Doctor gives Katniss and Peeta an extra moment in the Quarter Quell.

I've never written for the Doctor before, so please forgive me if it sounds awkward or OOC. I've only watched through series three. The same goes for Rose.

Anyways, I hope you liked it, and please leave a review! Thanks!

-SketchbookPianist