Chapter 2! So far I really like where this is going! What do you think? R&R!

Chapter 2

I woke up to the sound of Faith bursting into our room. She was screaming, something about a boy named Sam. She was asking us to explain something to her. But explain what? Then my nightmares flooded back into my head reminding me of earlier that evening. My nightmares flashed a scene from the games and I gave a small scream and tears escaped my eyes, but Peeta was right by me, his arms around my waist.

"Gale," I sobbed. "The games, Peeta, the nightmares are coming back." I curled up next to him in his arms, shaking from the images, all coming back to me like they did so many years ago.

Faith brought me back to reality. "MOM! What the hell was that? I had the first boy I ever liked over at our house and you flipped out and acted almost scared of him! Please explain!"

"Please, Faith, calm down. We will explain." Peeta stroked my cheek. "Your mother… Faith it all has to do back to the Hunger Games."

Faith drew in her breath. She knew about the games. We had both told her all the hideous truth when she was only six. She had been so scared, so innocent at the time. But Gale, we had never told her about him. I never thought we would ever have to. I chocked back my tears and found the strength to sit up. Faith sat down next to me. She watched me with deep concern in her eyes. She knew what the Hunger Games were like for us, what they did to us.

"Faith, Gale was," I paused. How was I supposed to tell her about Gale. About how he was the one who dropped the bomb that killed my little sister. How I had once thought I loved him. All the times we had together. "Peeta," I looked at him. "I can't tell her. I can't think about this."

I buried my head in his shoulder. He kissed my forehead. "It's ok, Katniss," He soothed. Then he turned to our daughter. "Gale was… well, a friend. Let's just say that."

"But," she started.

"Mommy!" Jack ran in and burst into my arms. "What happened?" He asked. "You look so sad." He gave me a big kiss on the cheek. He was so young and so innocent.

"Jack," Peeta looked at the clock on the wall. "It's late you should go to bed."

Jack nodded although I could tell he was on the verge of arguing. "But,"

"Please," begged Peeta.

Jack slumped his shoulders and nodded, "OK." He headed off to bed.

Faith sighed. I knew not even Peeta would be able to persuade her to leave. "I'm not going until this is all explained."

"It's complicated Faith," I told her. "It was such a long time ago but it's still so sad for me. My memories of it are still so vivid. It just brings back all the other memories like the rebellion and when I was in the arena." I shuddered and leaned closer to Peeta.

"But, why is, Gale, so… well, what did he do that was so bad?" Faith persisted. "He must not be that bad. Sam is really sweet and I doubt his father would be any different!"

"HE KILLED MY LITTLE SISTER!" I screamed. "Then, when I was all alone he just left me. He never came back and just went off to live in district Two. I haven't heard from him since the end of the rebellion!" I ran out of the room my heart pounding and my face streaked with tears and sweat. I had just screamed at my own daughter and it was all because of Gale. He had brought me this hurt and pain, helplessness and hate. The worst part of all was somewhere deep down I had I little flicker of love toward him. I knew if I even forgave him a little, I would care about him too much to bear.

It wasn't that I didn't love Peeta. I would always love him more than anyone, but Gale and I had been friend since I was Jack's age. I had so many amazing memories of being with him and hunting in the woods. I just knew that if I thought about him and cared about him at all, I'll never be able to let him go, and if I cried for him, I would lose Peeta. The only way I could talk about Gale, or even think about him were by the hateful memories I had of him. If I thought of how he left me, how he caused me so much pain, I would have just enough strength to block him out.

But now Gale was back in my life. My own daughter was in love with his son. I could always tell Faith no. I could tell her she couldn't be with Sam. I could tell her he caused too much pain; that she would be better off with Oliver. But I knew I was being selfish. How could I tell her she couldn't be with someone she thought she loved? My mother never told me I couldn't be with Peeta… or Gale. She would probably hate me. I was so confused I just ran to the nearest closet and hid, just like I did so long ago back in District Thirteen. When I was hiding from Haymitch.

Haymitch! Haymitch was like a grandfather to Faith. He could easily explain everything to her; well, he could, as long as he wasn't so drunk he couldn't even get to his own liquor cabinet. I brushed off my tears and headed back into my bedroom. Peeta was sitting next to Faith, and trying to explain things to her but I could tell he wasn't really sure what to say about Gale. She saw me walk into the room.

"Mother," Faith jumped up. "Did, did Gale really kill Prim? Y-you said she died from a bomb. Did he…?"

"Faith," I walked up to her and tried to stay calm. "I know how things can all be explained. But please, I don't want to be the one to explain them."

"I hope so," she sighed. "Dad's having a hard time explaining anything and you're quite shaken up about it."

"Yes," I told her. "Why don't you go talk to Haymitch?"

"Haymitch!" exclaimed Peeta. "Yes, Haymitch could explain things, but Katniss what if he's drunk? He drinks the most at night. Remember the last time we went to visit him-"

"Yes I know," I rolled my eyes. "But he usually doesn't hurt anyone. You just have to make sure he doesn't have a knife in his hand."

"Right," Faith looked to Peeta then me. "I-I think I'll be OK. After a while he usually realizes who you are and I really want to know. I need to know if he's Sam's father."

I laughed for the first time that night. Good old Haymitch. You could never take him seriously yet at the same time he seemed to know exactly what to say to make you feel better. He always seemed so scattered brained with his un- kept hair and dirty clothes. His socks always seemed to have traces of vomit on then, and you would always find him knocked out at his kitchen table with at least five empty bottles of white wine lying next to him. To most people, a sight like that would seem disturbing. But I knew him all too well, and to me, scenes like that were funny.

Peeta turned to me. "But Katniss, do you really think Haymitch will know much about Gale?"

"He knows more than you think. Besides, he has met him before."

"If Haymitch is too drunk to remember I will be expecting at least one of you to tell me about Gale." Faith put her hands on her hips. "Or I could always ask Sam's dad myself."

"NO!" Peeta and I both shouted at the same time. "I'm sure Haymitch will tell you."

I trusted Faith enough to know that she wouldn't ask Sam about it. But I also knew her determination all too well and that if she didn't find out, she would seek out Gale himself and that would only lead to pain for Peeta and me. "DO you want to go tonight?" I asked her.

She nodded. "Yes. If I don't find out I'll never be able to sleep tonight."

"OK, but please be careful. It is dark."

"And if anything's wrong with Haymitch or he causes any trouble please call," added Peeta. "His phone should work, or at least I hope it does."

"Alright."

We followed Faith downstairs. My dinner was still sitting on the table. Faith and Jake had cleared the rest of the plates but mine sat there, untouched. Faith grabbed her coat and opened the door to leave. "One last question," she said. "What's his full name?"

"Gale Hawthorne," I chocked the word out. "Haymitch will just know him by Gale, too."

"OK, I'll be back soon. Well, just as soon as Haymitch gets the story out."

I put my arm around Peeta as we watched Faith walk out the door into the night.

"She has no idea what she's actually getting herself into," I sighed.

I was a little scared of what Faith would think when she found out everything. Every bit of information we had been hiding from her all these years. My biggest question was what would happen between her and Sam. I also couldn't get the dreadful feeling out of the back of my mind that sometime or another i would be seeing Gale again.

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