Hunger Games!

Thanks to several friends from Twitter, I have discovered "The Hunger Games" Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I found myself particularly captivated by the last several pages of the story and decided to write a one-shot of that moment from Peeta's point-of-view.

I hope you enjoy it! The name of this story is the page number in the book. Three seventy-one

Absolución teaser from chapter 16

"You know, as well as any, that an unstable vampire is a danger to us all," Aro snarled. "We can not tolerate any that would break our laws and risk exposure!" he enunciated, angry that Carlisle was being impudent.

"I will not go in there to stop him knowing that you only wait to outside to destroy him!" Carlisle shot back. "I believe in his strength of character. I believe he acts only out of a will to do good."

"Do you now?" Aro sneered, growing thoughtful as he looked around the room at Carlisle's family. "And exactly how strong is that belief, hmm? Would you risk your family?"

Absolución teaser from chapter 15

"I must give you credit, Carlisle, for your choices," Caius said snidely. "You choose to be a doctor. You choose to only give our gift to those dying. You choose when to break your own standards when you conveniently find a human who will clearly be outstanding in our world. I wonder how many dying humans you have really changed?"

Carlilse spun to face him, horrified that anyone could even think like that. He and Caius had never had any sort of friendship beyond polite acquaintances, but they had at least had respectful regard toward one another. He had never realized the true depth of Caius' ruthlessness.

"You know I would never do anything like that," Carlisle said trying to keep the sharpness from his tone.

"Do I? Hmm." Caius continued to needle him in a blatant attempt to prove to the Guard once and for all the real dangers the Cullens represented. "Did you choose to become a teacher to evaluate the young humans to swell your ranks then? Find more of those who would be gifted? Indoctrinate their minds early into your way of thinking?"

Carlisle gaped at him now understanding the depth of the paranoia within Caius that Rolle had warned them about. He saw now how easily Caius' rumormongering could have pushed Aro into action and created these suspicions within the Volturi guards that would encourage them to act on their own.

Absolución teaser from chapter 14

Aro stopped suddenly and met Caius' intense expression. "And what would you do exactly?"

Rage flashed in Caius face at the perceived disdain Aro was implying. Of the three of them, Caius was the only one without powers and it dug in his side like a festering thorn.

Aro allowed his intentional needling to linger a moment before saying the exact opposite to support another option entirely. "If I disappear, then you will have your answer. You will know the boy is too dangerous to keep, and you can do with him what you will."

Absolución teaser from chapter 13

"So you are the one who attacked Carlisle's coven?" Aro's words were matter of fact, but his tone was stiff. "And the one who reportedly killed our own Demetri!" he added with a curious light in his eyes. His voice almost sang as his hands clapped together.

Absolución teaser from chapter 12

"And, Carlisle, I want you to swear that you will not leave me alone in this existence. Don't protect me if you put yourself in harms way. Don't push me away when I stand beside you. You promised we would be together forever... and I can't...." Her voice shook again and she stopped to dig deep for her strength to say what needed to be said. "I can't bear the thought of it without you."

"Esme...!" Carlisle cried softly. His heart broke at her words.

"You promise me that we'll be together forever, even in death," she said so low her voice was barely a hiss. She couldn't stand even the thought of it and she dropped her head onto his shoulder.

"Shh," Carlisle soothed, stroking her soft caramel hair. "Shh." He kissed her hair, nuzzling his nose against her until her gentle shuddering stilled. "I have no wish for death, my love," he assured her. "I just feel lost. Like time has swept me up and spun me til I'm disoriented and dropped me to the ground again. I'm only stumbling, Petal, but never doubt that you are, and have always been, the reason I haven't fallen."

Esme raised her head from his shoulder searching his face for reassurance.

"I swear to you, we will always be together," he said earnestly. "In this life or another."

Shh! It was a SECRET!

Back in December, Lola and I worked on her "Gift Exchange fic", but I couldn't tell anyone about it until after the gifts had been revealed. This was written for ScarlettLetters.

I even tried my hand at making a banner for this story when I found this ridonk awesome-funny picture of a mitten sweater.