This second part of the prologue introduces a younger Katniss and Peeta, both college students on the edge of graduation. They are in the "North America" that the Agents Katniss and Peeta have been forced to travel to.

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, aged 22 years

Occupations: College Students, Bakery Employees

The sound of the back door opening caused relief to flood through every vestige of Katniss Everdeen's body. She had been working at the Mellark's Bakery for six years now, and while she loved her job – she really did – she dreaded nothing more than that one Sunday a month when Mrs. Mellark came in to do…. Whatever the fuck Mrs. Mellark came in to do.

The bitch hated her and made no attempts to keep it quiet. It had all come to a head two years ago when Mrs. Mellark slapped Katniss across the face after hearing from a friend that Katniss and Peeta had been spotted holding hands, and Katniss had almost retaliated, only stopped by Mr. Mellark holding her back. By now they had a fairly fool proof system worked out, where Katniss had the entire day off and no one had to deal with the alcoholic abusive woman hurling insults that were worse that what she said at home.

Nothing made Katniss's blood boil more than being called a "worthless cunt" by Anita Mellark, someone who sat around all day in her home drinking, talking trash, and beating on her grown sons and not being able to do anything about it.

So knowing that Nick had just arrived for his shift, after needing a half day off to do God knows what, made her feel like weeping for joy.

"You know you probably shouldn't look that relieved about going home, we might start to think you hate being here." Peeta, the youngest (and hottest) of the baker's sons told her with a grin on his face.

"Shut up asshole. You know exactly why I'm happy to get out of here today." She snapped, not really meaning to, but at this point in the day, after dealing with his mother for six hours, whatever good will she had in her was long gone.

"I was kidding. I actually am going to knock off too, Dad said it would be cool and we need to get that paper done for Abernathy's class." He said, putting his hands up in some kind of fake surrender.

She nodded her head in agreement, and began to head towards the back of the bakery, cringing when she heard the office door open.

"Oh Nick! How lovely to see you here. Hopefully you're here to take out the trash." Anita slurred. Nick had the decency to cringe, but schooled his features quickly.

"Sorry, I just had some life stuff to take care of. You look lovely as always Anita." He told her as an explanation, earning a blush from the witch and an eye roll from Katniss. Nick, she and Peeta had become fairly close friends over the time he had been here to work, and he dealt with Peeta's mom better than they ever did.

When Katniss entered Anita's view however, all the blush was wiped off her cheeks and replaced by a nasty sneer.

"Empty your pockets you worthless piece of shit. I still can't believe we let someone as trashy as you run the fucking registers." She said in what she probably thought was menacing but was really almost laughable.

"Mom she's not going to empty your pockets. She's been here for six years and she's never stolen anything. Go 'do the books' and leave us alone." Peeta snapped at his mother, earning a glare from her retreating form.

When she was gone the tense feeling in the air dissipated only somewhat and Nick grinned at them both.

"Wow I bet today has been nothing but fun for you two." He said with a held back laugh, causing Peeta to punch his shoulder.

"Yeah so much fun, it's almost a shame we're leaving." Katniss said with heavy sarcasm, only causing Nick to laugh more.

"Yeah enjoy man, it's all yours now. We'll see you tomorrow." Peeta offered, hanging his apron up on the pegs lining the wall.

"Sounds good. I already talked to your Dad about it but I may be a little late in the morning." Nick offered as he followed them to the back where the makeshift locker room sat.

"Oh? And are you ever going to actually tell us what it is that you're doing Nick? And don't you fucking say Annie again." Katniss deadpanned, but when Nick's face became somber, it quickly held up any other retorts she was planning on sending his way.

"Just some life stuff like I said. I promise I'll tell you guys when I can." He told her quietly. Both Katniss and Peeta just nodded, and after a moment the jovial Nick they knew returned.

"Get out of here while you guys can, you know she can't stand being in there for more than 15 minutes at a time." He jokingly reprimanded them.

As they left, his face once again fell into a serious trance, waiting until they were safely in their car before he turned around to face the work day…. And Anita Mellark.

"Peeta, why would you say that shit to your mom? She's going to give you hell for it." Katniss mumbled as they walked into her house 15 minutes later.

"She'll forget by tomorrow afternoon when I have to go over there to pick up the last of my stuff. Plus I hate the shit she says to you, I should talk back to her more." He reasoned as he fell down on the couch dramatically.

"Does she even know you're moving in here with me?" Katniss asked with an eyebrow raised.

"No but she will tomorrow when I tell her after I make sure all of my shit is safe and secure and I've signed the papers with my Dad's lawyer saying I legally own the bakery." He said nonchalantly as he flipped through a magazine. He paused for a moment to meet her eyes, watching as she sputtered with a response.

"Is that okay?" He asked one more time, holding her eyes until her shoulders heaved in defeat.

"Yeah it's fine. I just hate having to sneak around behind anyone's back. We've been dating for five years and she doesn't even know." She finally told him, turning to go to the kitchen and fish some beers out of the fridge.

When she returned to the living room she flopped down next to Peeta on the couch and handed him one of the bottles.

"I know why, and I'm not upset about it. She would have fired me the moment she found out, but we're graduating from school soon, I just thought we would be done with this by now." She said with a shrug as she flipped through the channels on TV.

"I know. But with my Dad planning to divorce her the second I graduate it just makes more sense to do it this way. Keep things a secret while he signs things over to me and keep you out of the crossfire." He said as he nudged her shoulder with his. Her lips quirked down for a moment before they let the comfortable silence take over.

They sat watching TV for some time, before Peeta yawned next to Katniss, setting his now empty beer bottle down on the coffee table.

"Hey I'm kind of tired, don't you think we should get some dinner soon?" He asked laying his head down with another dramatic yawn on Katniss's shoulder.

"Yeah probably." She answered with a shrug not turning away from the television. Feeling how tense she was Peeta let out a sigh.

"Katniss you know I love you right?" He asked looking up to watch her face.

"Yes of course I know that Peeta." She answered, scowling as she did so.

"And you know the only reason I'm not constantly shouting it from the rooftops is because I have no idea what my alcoholic abusive mother would do to you right?" He asked as he poked her side playfully.

"Yeah I know. Just like how I know that's why you took Delly to prom and Gale took me and we switched dates. Just because I understand it doesn't mean I like it." She told him with a sigh.

After a brief moment she stood up quickly, without a word, causing him to fall into the place she had just vacated.

"Katniss? Where are you going?" He asked as she stepped over his legs.

"My room. You can come if you want." She told him as she made her way towards the hallway, stripping off pieces of clothing as she went.

"Don't you mean our room?" He asked when he finally caught up with her, pressing her against the hallway wall.

He could see the frustration that she tried to normally keep quelled rising in her eyes as he tightened his hold on her. She stared him down for a few long moments before slipping out of his grip and walking determinedly into her room.

Following behind her he shut the door and leaned back against it, watching as she dug furiously through her nightstand until she found what she was looking for, tossing the foil package onto the bed.

"Well are you coming or what?" She asked with a huff of anger, but he made no move to leave his post.

"Katniss." He implored, waiting for her to explode.

"What Peeta?" She snapped as she reached behind her back to unsnap her bra.

"I thought you would be happier, is all. I mean I'm moving in here tomorrow finally, I'm getting the bakery signed into my name so my dad can divorce my mother, and I'm finally telling her about us so we don't have to keep it such a secret anymore. I don't know what else you want from me." He said as calmly as he could, watching her reaction.

"I know Peeta, will you please just get over here?" She asked as nicely as she could muster and he finally pushed his back up off of the door joining her on the bed.

When he was done tugging off his jeans and she her remaining underclothes she unceremoniously slapped the condom to his chest and laid back on the bed.

"What no warm up?" He asked jokingly.

Sitting up she grabbed his jaw between her fingers and twisted his face to meet hers.

"Did you mean it Peeta or are you just placating me?" She asked seriously, her grey eyes already guarded against his answer.

"I meant it Katniss." He said and she immediately placed her lips on his.

"Then no, I don't need a warm up, I just need you okay?" She reasoned and he nodded against her forehead.

"Okay. But after this we are going to dinner." He told her as he tore open the condom wrapper, watching her roll her eyes out of his peripheral with a grin.

They exited her room sometime later to find Johanna sitting on the couch staring at them in amusement. After taking in Peeta's shit eating grin and the grip Katniss had on his hand, the spiky haired Brunette let out a long laugh.

"So thanks guys for the most entertaining fight I've ever had the privilege to listen too." She snickered as Katniss blushed.

"Shut up Jo. We were going to go and get some dinner." Katniss said as she reached down to pick up the purse she had dropped earlier in the day.

"Oh yes I heard. Of course then all I could hear was you "Ohhhh Peeta your cock is so big". I swear you guys are better than porn. Is it really as big as Katniss likes to scream about Peet?" Johanna said, amusement written all over her face while Katniss glared daggers at her.

"You know it baby." Peeta said with a wink, knowingly adding fuel to Johanna's fire.

"As much fun as this is we are going out." Katniss announced, cutting off whatever it was that Johanna had to say in response.

"I won't be here when you guys get back so don't worry about being quiet for my sake!" Jo called after them, cackling at her own joke as the door shut.

"So where to Peeta?" Katniss asked once she was strapped into the passenger side of his car.

"Would you hate me if we just got take-out? I kind of want to get back and do what we were doing a little more." Peeta asked her sheepishly. She just grinned at him in response giving him all the answer he needed.

It was a quick drive to get to the place they frequented the most, a place called Mag's down the road from the bakery. They had been eating there since they were kids, and now with the stress of college and the little amount of time it left for actual meals, they were frequent customers at the take out stand. As Peeta pulled into the parking lot, Katniss couldn't help but glance down the road to where the bakery sat still lit. Frowning she looked at the dashboard clock, noting that it was two hours after close and yet Nick's car still sat parked in the employee lot.

"Hey Peeta?" She asked as he tried to fit his car into a too small space earning her a barely audible response.

"What's Nick still doing at the bakery?" She tried again, and now that the car was still parked Peeta glanced to see what she was talking about.

"I don't know. That's weird. If he's still there when we get our food we'll go and check on him okay?" He told her, and liking his reasoning she nodded, following him out of the car.

She couldn't shake the feeling that something was up though, not while they ordered, nor while they waited on their food. Nick's behavior had been off the past few days, and while she just assumed it had something to do with his girlfriend Annie, she couldn't help but remain curious. If Peeta sensed something about her inner turmoil he didn't say anything, content to watch the basketball game playing on the television screen above them.

When they stood to retrieve their food some time later, Katniss peered around Peeta as he paid the bill, watching as a black car pulled up near the side of the bakery. Two people got out and Nick greeted them both with huge hugs. She watched as he glanced around quickly, before pulling them both into the shop. Tugging on the waist of Peeta's jeans he quickly finished paying before turning to look down at her.

"What?" He asked in concern, noting how she kept her eyes trained on the bakery.

"Nothing. Just something's up. We need to go and check in on the bakery Peeta." She told him as she worried her bottom lip.

"Okay, let me put the food in the car and we'll walk over." He told her and she nodded, not once taking her stare off Nick as he led the two strangers to sit at a table out front in the dimly lit bakery. Any passerby would think nothing of it, and if she and Peeta hadn't been in a rush to get home they wouldn't have seen. The Mellarks lived on the other side of town and never came back to the bakery if it could be helped since Peeta lived right down the street. Something was up and she felt an odd twisting in her stomach.

"Alright let's go." Peeta said as he closed the door the car and grabbed her hand.

They quickly made their way across the street, hands locked together as they approached the back entrance to the bakery. Katniss fidgeted as Peeta pulled out his keys to unlock the door. She held up her hand to indicate that he need to shut the door quietly once they had both stepped into the back and he nodded, closing it so slowly it didn't make a peep.

Katniss crept forward, her hunting instincts on high, coming to a stop as the three voices became clearer.

"I'm sorry that I had to lie to you both. I didn't want to, but it was necessary. I'm sure Haymitch told you what he could and I'll explain more later but now I need to fill you in on some other things." They heard Nick say.

A female voice spoke in a hushed whisper, saying things Katniss couldn't make out. She turned to Peeta to see if he was doing any better at understanding, but his face was scrunched up in pure confusion that she attributed to the strange conversation they were eavesdropping on.

When the women finished speaking Nick spoke up again.

"Yeah that sounds about right. I've been watching over them, making sure they're safe. It's crazy how many similarities they share with you. They're both younger than you two are, but only by a few years. I was hoping we could put this off a little longer because there's some personal stuff they're dealing with that's about to come to a head but I guess the timeline is getting more serious as the days pass." He said.

His words caused Katniss to furrow her brow, knowing he was talking about she and Peeta but not knowing why on earth he was doing so. When the male began to speak however, her confusion multiplied dramatically.

"So it's safe to say they know nothing about what's going on with Snow." He said and Katniss felt her eyes widen as her mouth dropped open.

She turned slowly to face Peeta, whose own expression was one of shock.

The voice of the man was distinctively the voice of Peeta, and before she knew what she was doing, Katniss's legs propelled her to walk towards the front of the bakery.

The woman at the table spotted her first , audibly gasping as she came to a standstill to take in the scene. Peeta bumped into her from behind, and as the rest of the table turned to look at them Katniss tried to wrap her head around what it was she was looking at.

The woman sitting at the table looked exactly like a more sophisticated version of herself. The man at the table looked and sounded exactly like Peeta. Nick's eyes were wider than she had ever seen before.

What the fuck was going on?