A/N

Hi! OMG I am so shocked! A whole 3 people that I don't know read my story that I know of!

I was like WOAH! Anyway, I shan't keep it too long, but thanks to Guess who , Jess and SheSaysReal for reviewing. Thanks also to cora760 and JumpThenFall for doing the alert thingy. Sorry I didn't update sooner, but Fanfiction wouldn't let me log on for some odd reason till today. But anyway, enough excuses. Enjoy and review!

Chapter 2

Katniss

I wait quietly in the small, stuffy room that has been supplied for me to bid everyone I love goodbye. The first people to come in are my off-with-the-fairies mother and a shuddering, whimpering Prim.

"You can't go! You just can't!" screams Prim through glassy eyes, "How will we survive? You have to come home, you just have to!"

"I got picked, I have to" is all I can manage to say without completely breaking down.

We stand in silence, trapped in an everlasting embrace, probably the last time I will ever hug my sister. I then register my mother sniffing behind us and turn to face her.

"You have to hold together" I say solemnly, "if you break down, she will die, do you understand? Gale will bring in game, and Hazelle will help in any way she can, I'm sure, just don't leave her to starve."

She nods, stunned and I pull her into an awkward hug, pulling her close. For all the years I have hated, distrusted and loathed my mother, all that is now behind me at this moment as I could possibly never see her again. The thought in the back of my mind that she will fail Prim, still lingers, however I put that, too, behind me as the peacekeeper barges through the door, and abruptly pulls them from my grasp. I sit in lonely, detached silence for just mere seconds, when a new face bursts through the door, the face I have been waiting to see, and as soon as he closes the door, I throw my arms around him like I'll never let go.

"It'll be alright, you can win this, the others don't stand a chance, with your hunting skills" he says, grabbing me by the shoulders, looking me in the eye.

"I don't want to hunt people Gale; I just want to get out alive". I whimper into his shoulder.

"I'll help them you know, I won't let them starve" he says comfortingly into my ear. "Give that bread boy what he deserves"

Gale is the only one I ever told about that night, well, the full story anyway. He knows what Peeta did and why I hate him, and he probably read me like an open book when his name was called, by the smirk on my face.

"He then pulls me in, gazes into my eyes, like when I caught him staring at the reaping, and gives me a light peck on the cheek, before brushing the hair out of my face. I smile and am pretty sure I go beetroot red.

"Pity this couldn't have happened earlier" he says, a touch of sadness in his voice.

"It did" I say and pull him closer.

A huge smile spreads across his lips and he hugs me tighter for what seems like an eternity, desperation radiating through us both, desperate for a different outcome of today. At that very moment, we were the only two people in the world. Then, just like that, to ruin the moment, that blasted peacekeeper again barges through the door, and drags Gale out again.

"I won't let them starve! I-" and the door closes behind him and there is again, a depressing emptiness to the room.

My next visitors are Hazelle, Rory, Vick, Posy and Greasy Sae and we exchange small talk, hugs, wisdom, memories and so much more before I have to say goodbye for good. I am then left there, in that dank little room, for 6 agonising minutes, in which I assume Peeta is still bidding farewell. The same, moment-ruining peacekeeper marched through the door, grabbed my arm, and pulled me to the train station, where the train was waiting. I obligingly followed for fear of getting into more trouble than I already am. I am forced to yet again, wait another few minutes behind the justice building while I wait for Peeta, who comes out later, his face red from tears. And I internally smirk at his weakness in front of the cameras. Effie Trinket soon comes up behind us, cheery as always, and escorts us out onto the platform, and onto the train, frequently posing for pictures with this year's tributes along the way. When we finally do get on the train, the avoxes escort us to our rooms and we are left to change for dinner. I dress in the simplest thing i can find and head straight to the dining car, where our drunken mentor (who failed to make an appearance at the reaping) is lounging sloppily over the chair and table. I approach him with caution, but soon realise he is asleep, or at least passed out, so I take a seat at the table, and start to eat just as Effie and Peeta walk through the door. Effie, bubbly as always sits in the chair across from me, leaving only the chair right next to me for Peeta to sit. He edges closer to it and hesitantly sits down.

"Oh, I can't wait for this year's hunger games; the ones before the Quarter Quells are so exciting!" Effie babbles.

I give Peeta a subtle, evil grin and say "Yes Effie I agree, these will be very fun games" Peeta's face goes white at this and I smirk under my breath. That part of the games, I will look forward to.

For the remainder of the meal, I make small talk with Effie, which isn't hard, as she does all the talking anyway, so I just add bits here and there to keep her going. I don't want to talk to her; I just want to make Peeta uncomfortable, which is visibly working as I notice him shifting nervously in his seat. I suddenly realise I haven't actually talked to him yet, so I attempt to engage him in the conversation. Turns out I don't have to.

"So Peeta, are you looking forward to the games as much as Katnisss?" Effie says, extending the 's' at the end of my name.

"Katniss" I correct her.

"Well...uh...um...I guess?" he stutters out nervously, my grin penetrating his confidence.

"Oh, good! It isn't often I get two keen tributes! We might have a winner this year!" She says with absolute pleasure.

I soon go back to my room and collapse onto my bed, thinking of those I left behind today. I decide to let them go one by one, release them from my brain like a dove from its' cage. This is necessary if I am to die, for me to let go of those I love. One by one, I release them from my mind, most reluctantly, Gale. I had never actually had any time to reflect on what happened between us, so that is what I lie there thinking about, as I fall asleep, awaiting the arrival of the capitol. He is my last thought before i fall into a restless, pained slumber.