Sorry for the cliff-hanger. I didn't want it to get too long! I hope this makes up for it!

Thank you to everyone who has favourite this story, reviewed and put it on alert! It means so much to know that you all like it! I have the next few chapters written. I won't be able to post again until the weekend after today but I promise to keep writing over the weekend.

Much love.

As before: I don't own THG, just in my dreams.

Chapter 2:

My heart continued to pound as I smiled back at Peeta, I couldn't believe that he had returned to District 12. He just looked at me with that perfect smile almost waiting for me to continue but all I could manage was "You're home," which caused him to smile a little more.

"I guess I am" He said as he opened his door a little more welcoming me into his house and I followed him in, now I couldn't help but feel a little awkward, what on earth did I say to him? Did I ask him how he was? Did I ask if he still hated me? Or did I just tell him I missed him. I didn't feel like I had the luxury of saying that I missed him or even to feel whatever it was I felt for him, for I all I knew he hated me and that this was just a little facade, it didn't even occur to me that he might not be over his hijacking.

He finally rested in his kitchen, he had been baking, or at least about to start when I had knocked "Sorry for the mess" he apologised as he sat down "Would you like some tea? Something to eat?" he asked looking at me. I couldn't help admire at how polite he was.

"No thank you, I just came back from hunting" I explained, not sure why I had told him this because it didn't need justifying but I felt like I owed him some sort of explanation. "I had figured... I knocked when I got back but when you didn't answer Sae and Haymitch said you had started hunting again... I guess it's you're getting better" he said, he now averted his gaze a little from my own as I felt a warmth pass through me. He had looked for me when he got back.

"I wouldn't call it getting better" I replied now looking down at my fingers, "It was more a distraction from everything" I explained, feeling the need to explain it, I wanted to tell him that it was because it distracted me from the fact he wasn't there, the fact I didn't think he would return but when I opened my mouth those where not the words that came out "How are you Peeta... how was the Capitol?" I didn't mean to intrude and when I saw his body tense a little, I took a step back wondering if I had gone too far.

However, this was not the case, he looked up at me with his shrugged "Like you I guess... not really getting better but... trying to distract myself... hence the baking... but the Capitol... it's changing... they've helped me with my you know... with the thoughts" I could see that it was a struggle for him to speak about it. He was normally so fluent with his words, he had this amazing ability to calm everyone and create that spark but he seemed dejected, it was hard for him to talk about the hijacking.

I nodded my head and looked at him, understanding how difficult it was for him to talk about it, it was hard for me to talk about what happened, about losing Prim, losing everyone but now... I hadn't lost everyone. Peeta was back and although I had no idea what was going on, or what was going to happen, just having him near it was helping. "Distractions..." was all I managed as I took a little step closer to the middle of the room.

I hadn't realised Peeta had moved whilst I had been lost in my thoughts for that moment before I mumbled at him so it was a bit of a shock when I looked up and saw him stood a lot closer to me than I expected "I've missed you Katniss..." he said in a low tone, almost so low that I didn't hear it. My heart skipped a little as I looked at him almost shocked.

"You missed me?" I gasped at him "you should hate me... I thought you wouldn't come back... I didn't think you would. I mean... it's my fault what happened to you" I hadn't meant for those words to come out, but I was now fighting to keep tears in, guilt was washing over my so quickly that I couldn't help it.

I finished my little statement, speech whatever it was and I felt Peeta wrap his arms around him, holding him tight to him like he had before, before he was hijacked, it felt like I had my boy with the bread back, I inhaled his scent, wanting to remember it forever just in case this was the last ever hug that I receieved from him, just in case it was the last time I could hold Peeta in my arms. "Katniss... it wasn't your fault. You didn't... you didn't do this to me. The Capitol did. Snow did it. Not you. I returned... I returned because I need you... I don't know how fixed I am... but I came back for you." He said this as his stroked my hair comforting me.

It was strange hearing those words come from him after a month of convincing myself that he hated me, that we would never return to District 12 and if he did it wouldn't be for me. I felt hope, the same hope I had felt when I had saw that dandelion all those years ago. The boy with the bread had done it again. Given me hope, maybe just maybe, we can get through this together. I nodded my head and looked up at him "Really?" I felt like I needed confirmation, to make sure that this wasn't just another nightmare that I was having, foolishly allowing me to hope and snatching it away from me at the last minute.

He smiled at me, his gentle smile genuine; I hadn't seen this smile in a long time as his lips said a simple word causing me to smile in return "Always"