Author's Note: Hello Mockingjays. Thank you so much for the reviews, favorites and followers…you made my days. I'm sorry for taking too long but I'm still deciding where I'm going with this story. Don't worry, I won't abandon it, and I hope you won't either. Keep reviewing please! Hope you enjoy this chapter…

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games

Chapter 2

Katniss's POV

For a moment we are both paralyzed. I look deep into those ocean azure eyes while he is looking deep into my own. I walk carefully closer to him until our knees touch. "K-K-Kat..niss?" He whispers, his voice weak and hoarse. Peeta gently lifts up his hand to my cheek and caresses it softly. "Yes, it's me." I whisper. My hand reaches up for the one he has on my cheek, my thumb stroking the back of it. I take his other hand in mine and squeeze it, trying to assure him that this moment is real. He looks around the room, unsure of where he is. "D-D-Don't let..let them…hurt y-y-you." He stops and takes a deep breath. "I-I will.. I will protect y-you." He whispers. "Peeta. Shhh, I'm here now, we are okay. You are safe now, nobody will hurt us, nobody will hurt you." I repeat this last part more for my sake than his. "Nobody will hurt you. I'm here." He brings his face closer to mine and our lips touch delicately, just for a second. His chapped lips are cold and pale, but they still fit perfectly against mine, like two puzzle pieces.

"I thought I would never see you again." I don't try to hide the tears as they fall. I let myself believe for so long that Peeta was dead, that President Snow made sure that I would be broken beyond repair. It all changed when I saw his first propo, I let myself hope that I would have him back safe and sound. Since his announcement about the bombing of District 13, I came to wish he were dead. I know that Snow made him pay for it, and this thought makes more tears run freely down my face until I'm holding back sobs.

"D-D-Don't leave..m-me again..please. You are…you are the…only thing k-k-keeping me s-s-sane." Tears fall down his face, and like me he is also freely crying. I position my body in between his legs and pull his head to rest on my chest as I caress his blond curls. The terror in his eyes makes my heart ache and the hot blood run through my veins. He lifts his strong arms that have grown weaker from months of torture, and wraps them around me. We just keep holding each other for what feels like hours. I squeeze him to me as hard as I can without hurting him. I want to make my message clear. That he is safe with me, I will never leave him again, now he can relax. I also make myself a promise, I will get into the Capitol and I will kill Snow. That man will pay for what he has done to my Boy with the Bread. He will be sorry, I will make sure of it.

We are pulled apart by one of the nurses cleaning her throat. "I wish I could let you two catch up a little more but we need to finish some tests and make sure everything is fine. Why don't you come back later Ms. Everdeen?" I glare at her. How dare these people separate us when I just got him back?

"Yes, sweetheart. You are being called in command. So, what about you come with me and I will bring you back right after dinner?" I haven't noticed Haymitch standing behind us. Peeta turns his head and his blue eyes lock on Haymitch. For a moment I think they will just nod at each other and ignore their presence, but Haymitch walks around the bed and pulls Peeta in a tight hug.

"It's good to have you back son. Sweetheart here can now function as a human being again." Haymitch whispers, a little too loud, as he pulls away. I scowl at him, but I can't deny he is right. Without Peeta I couldn't function. Since the day I woke up in District 13 and found out that he was in the Capitol, being torture by Snow and his crew, I was a living vegetable. I need Peeta as I need air to survive, I just regret taking so long to admit it to myself.

"We will be back after dinner. Rest and be nice to the doctors." Haymitch says as he takes my arm and starts dragging me out of the room. I stare into Peeta's eyes, not wanting to leave him here. What is he gets taken away again? What if someone hurts him?

"I don't want to go." I say, trying to free my arm from Haymitch's grasp. Last thing I see is Peeta's attempt to smile and mouthing 'It's okay' as Haymitch closes the white door on my face. I still don't move, I can't bring myself to leave him again. It feels like the Arena, someone is separating us and I'm letting it happen.

"I can't…I can't…" I whisper.

"Sweetheart let's go. We got a meeting to attend and then we will be back here after dinner."

"No, Haymitch. Let go..." his grip on my arm is so tight it is hurting me.

"Katniss listen, he is fine, he will be okay. Now get yourself together and be strong. We will come back here later, I promise you." Hesitantly I walk with Haytmich towards the elevator. We ride it down to the "main" and lowest level and make our way to the command room.

As I was expecting we are the last ones to show up. I take a sit on one of the two empty chairs, next to Boggs, while Haytmich takes the one on my other side.

"Well, now that we have everybody present we may start." Coin begins. I don't pay much attention to whatever she is saying; instead I glance around the room searching for familiar faces. Cressida. Castor. Pullux. Messala. The entire camera crew is here. Plutarch. President Coin. Haytmich. A couple soldiers and Coin's assistants that I don't recognize. Gale. He seems to be very interested in whatever the president is saying. His eyes are fixed on her and he nods once in a while.

` "What do you think Mockingjay?" I'm brought back to reality. I have no idea what she is asking me about.

"I agree." Is my answer. I thought about admitting that I'm very lost on the current subject, but the more she talks the longer it will be until I see Peeta again. Haymitch stares at me with a look of disapproval and Gale finally turns his attention to me, looking shocked. I don't have to wait much longer until the meeting is over and we are all to go to the cafeteria.

I walk as fast as I possibly can, partly to get dinner over with and partly to avoid Haymitch, but there is no use.

"Katniss, what were you thinking?!" He catches up to me as I'm about to enter the elevator and pulls me aside.

"I don't know what you mean." I say honestly.

"Of course…" He mumbles under his breath. "Of course you weren't paying attention to a single word that woman said. Then why in the world would you agree to such a thing?"

"What are you taking about?" My voice is shaking and I'm sure Haymitch can hear my accelerated heartbeats. Whatever I just agreed to do can not be good.

"Sweetheart, you have no idea what you just put yourself into."

Thanks for reading. It will be a couple days until I update again, but I promise to do so as fast as possible.