The light from the fireplace flicked, causing the shadows to become animate across the walls. Katniss watched them dance and flicker, and she moved closer to the shrinking fire. It was winter, but most of the cold came from within. She had spent 2 weeks by herself in District 12, roaming around lost and confused, and unsure how to pick up the threads of her old life. It was a ghost town. She hoped the new shipment of people arriving tomorrow would lift the spirits of the town. But she knew it would never be like it was.

Her thoughts wandered to Peeta. He would be coming tomorrow with the rest of the citizens. She wasn't sure how to deal with his arrival. He was recovering from the hijacking and she was recovering from her-what was it the medical team called it-insanity. She wondered if it would be better to stay apart for a while, until both of them healed. Healed. She laughed at the words. No. There was no going back. She pulled her knees closer to her and closed her eyes. The fire died and the darkness engulfed her.

The brightness of the sun pierced through her eyelids. She moved her arm over her eyes to block the light, wanting to stay in bed. She heard knocks on the door and realized it wasn't the bright sun that had waken her, but someone's incessant pounding at the door. She stood up out of bed and catching herself in the mirror she realized she wouldn't have to change her clothes before answering the door. She descended the steps from her room and answered the door. Haymitch stood with his hands on his hips and a frown on his face.

"What do you think you're doing in there?"

"Sleeping, what does it look like?" Katniss said, running her fingers through her hair to comb the tangles. "What do you want?"

"It's noon and the helicopter should be arriving any minute." He stood, staring at Katniss. "You know…the shipment of people who once lived in District 12-"

"I know. And why are you coming to tell me this?"

"I have some things to pass along to the higher authority. I figured we'd greet them."

"No thanks." Katniss said with her arms folded. She could be as stubborn as Haymitch, which was never a good combination.

"Peeta will be there."

"I don't care." Katniss started to shut the door but Haymitch placed his fist against it.

"You're coming. The Medical Team will want to assess you and I'm responsible for making sure you're available for when they arrive."

"Of course. I knew there would be a motive for wanting me along." She said, giving in to Haymitch and stepping outside. "Let's go then."

"Might want to brush your hair. You know you'll want to look less insane than when they left you." She laughed at Haymitch's jibe and continued combing out her hair with her fingers. They walked mostly in silence through the District Square. Katniss tried to keep her eyes from surveying the damage, as she had attempted to do these past two weeks.

By the time they neared the outskirts of the city, the transports were standing outside of the helicopter. They reminded Katniss of confused lambs, wandering around close to each other as if afraid someone would snatch them up. She saw a blonde head and before she realized it was Peeta, he turned around to meet her gaze. She quickly turned her head and could feel Peeta's gaze on her as she walked over to the Medical Team for an assessment.

She had felt like a hollow shell the past two weeks, sitting in front of the fire and rocking herself to sleep each night. She could feel something stirring now. It felt like guilt mixed with anger. She had been so dead inside the past few weeks, and that's where she wanted to stay. It was comfortable there, with no feelings of guilt, shame or horror.

"Miss Everdeen?" Her thoughts fell back to reality as a stout woman with beehive hair tapped her foot impatiently. She looked around, not remembering her walk to the medical team. She looked and noticed her rolled-up sleeve and bandage from where they had taken blood. She wanted to ask if she had walked over here, but assumed she shouldn't jeopardize the conclusion they would come to about her mental health. She must have had another blackout-something she termed when she would end up in places with no recollection of how she got there.

"Not off to a real good start, Sweetheart," said Haymitch.

"I'm sorry, what?" Katniss said, staring into the woman's eyes which were heavy with make-up. She wondered how this Capitol Woman managed to keep white coat unstained with all the make-up and glitter that caked her face. Then she reminded herself she had to focus. She had to focus or she'd be sent off to some medical ward.

"How have you been eating?"

"Oh, good. Really, good." Katniss squirmed in her chair and Haymitch lifted an eyebrow from behind the woman, which signaled I needed to be a little more believable. "I had some…soup last night and...bread and butter for breakfast" She was never very good at being fake. She'd never make it in the Capitol. She smiled, hoping that would make her appear more believable, but apparently it had the opposite effect. Haymitch slapped his forehead with his palm and shook his head, so Katniss let the smile fade.

"Well, we're upping your medication and you'll be put on a few more. You seem well enough to carry out daily functions. Mr. Haymitch is here to watch over you as well," She eyed Haymitch and he gave his best genuine smile. "I'll be back within two weeks for another assessment."

"Looks like I'm sane after all," she said to Haymitch as she stood up.

"Right, and I'm not a drunk."

Katniss turned around to leave only to find Peeta walking toward her. She quickly turned back to Haymitch. "I...think I'll go back now."

"Whoa, Whoa," Haymitch stand planting his hands on Katniss's shoulder. "This shy part of you is not becoming."

"It's not shyness, alright? I just…I can't take talking to him right now." Fragmented memories passed before her eyes of Peeta on television sick and confused from being hijacked, or his eyes blue as the ocean as he handed her a pearl. She remembered seeing him in the crowd, worry paralyzing his face the moment he realized that she wasn't going to shoot Snow."

She put her fingers to her temples, trying to wipe the slideshow of images from her mind. "Medical team hasn't taken off yet, not a good time…" Haymitch mumbled under his breath. His teasing expression was now marked with concern.

"Katniss?" She turned around to see Peeta standing behind her, his face confused.

"Hi, Peeta."

"Are you okay?" he asked as he looked from Katniss to Haymitch.

"I'm fine." She smiled and waved Haymitch's hands off her. She would be strong. "How are you?"

"Better. I've responded very well to all the treatments."

Treatments? She suddenly imagined Peeta chained to a chair while soldiers showed him pictures of her face. Would he jump up and attempt to rip the picture to shreds? She tried not to think about it.

As if reading her mind, he responded "You know I'm not going to kill you?" He smiled, but it dropped when the smile wasn't returned. "Katniss? You know, I'm sorry..."

"For what? It's not your fault you wanted to kill me." She tried to laugh it off, but her voice choked on the words. She remembered Peeta's hands around her throat, his teeth gritting as he pressed down on her in an attempt to stifle her very last breath.

"Your hands…" Peeta said, and she looked down to see her hands shaking.

"Uh. We better go before-" He eyed the group of soldiers, medical assistants and District 12 citizens that stood around the helicopter. Then all went black.

She saw a faint color of orange. Her vision focused and brought into view a small fire. She was in her comfort spot, as she liked to call it. It was the most comfortable chair in the house and placed directly in front of the fire. She spent countless nights watching the flames flick and crack until she was able to sleep.

She looked over at Haymitch who eyed her suspiciously. "What happened?" She asked, her voice dry.

"You went a little…" he circled his fingers around his temple to signal "crazy."

"Haymitch…"

He dropped the jokes. "I don't know. You were shaking and carrying on about how "fine" you were. You kept repeating yourself."

"I don't even remember getting here. It's getting worse...I told you-didn't I tell you? I said I didn't want to see Peeta."

Katniss heard a shuffling behind her as Haymitch eyes widened. She looked behind her to see Peeta standing in the kitchen. She cursed under her breath. Haymitch laughed. "Sorry, Sweetheart, I couldn't get rid of him. Well, glad to see you're fine now, but I have some business to attend to."

He left but not before taking a bottle of alcohol from the kitchen cabinet.

Peeta came over to her and handed her a bowl of soup. "Peeta, I'm sorry…" He shook his head as if to cast off the apology, but hurt was evident in his eyes.

"You have every right to hate me. I tried to kill you"

"I don't hate you. It's not about that…I just…"

Peeta sat down in the chair Haymitch usually sat in when visiting her, his full attention made it difficult for Katniss to continue.

"I just…I keep getting these images and they were just worst when I saw you today. I think of everything we've been through and it's just…too much."

"I know it's too much. You've been through too much."

Katniss looked up at him. "You've been through a lot, too."

"Not as much as you. I don't even remember a lot of it." He gave Katniss an encouraging smile. "Eat your soup."

They sat in silence for a while until Katniss decided to go upstairs to sleep. She wasn't sure how to say goodnight to Peeta; it was as if she had forgotten how to have a conversation with someone. She blamed her month in solitude. She pulled the sheets over her head in hopes of blocking out her thoughts.

She woke to the smell of blood. Not the smell of fresh blood that her senses had grown accustomed to during the Hunger Games and the war, but a stale stench of blood. It reminded her of Snow. She wondered if there was a body around the house that had not been moved after the bombing, then cursed herself for thinking such a morbid thought. No, she would have smelt it these past two weeks if that were the case. She stood up and suppressed a gag. The smell was getting stronger.

She walked over to the door, wanting to escape the aroma. She heard a crunch. Looking down she saw a white flower, flat from the pressure of her foot. Snow's white flower. She shoved the door open and jumped down the steps. When entering the living room she saw the top of Peeta's blond head; he was sitting in her usual chair in front of the fire that was now extinguished.

"Peeta-I-" she began. Peeta turned around and the expression on his face made her words falter. The darkness cast shadows under his eyes but Katniss could tell from the curl of his lips that he wanted to kill.