Sorry guys for not posting the second chapter for a really long time. I lost inspiration for awhile but after revisiting I decided to keep going with this story. Please review and thank you for taking the time to read. Hope you like it!

Chapter 2

" Boy I know you will. Just tread lightly here she is extremely fragile right now. And you know I wouldn't even say that if she was a little crazy." Haymitch lectured me.

" Oh come on Haymitch, I already know that." I said grinning at his seriousness.

"NO! You don't understand Peeta." He screeched at me. He threw the liquor bottles against the wall right above my head. I ducked and gave him the what the heck do you think you're doing look.

" You don't understand Peeta. You can't just give her your love sick puppy eyes and have her fall right into your arms." He sat back on the couch with a solemn and defeated look on his face. " She's broken Peeta...broken." Putting his head onto his head, he took a deep breath. His shoulders rose and shook with each heavy intake of breath.

"I can fix her. I swear I can fix her and be there for her." I was a little disappointed in him for the lack of faith. "I don't understand why you don't think I can do it?" I whispered to him feeling put down.

"Peeta its not that I don't want you to succeed it's just I think Katniss will take a lot more work and care then you realize. She doesn't respond and her eyes say she's at war with herself. She just sits in the chair by the window looking out into that damn meadow." He got up to grab another liquor bottle, " she just sits there doing nothing. Her eyes look like they are a million miles, oceans, and rivers away." He took a swig and gagged. " I go there everyday for a few hours and just watch her. Since we have gotten back to twelve she hasn't looked at me once."

I stare at him with a hard expression as he continues, " the girl we once knew has disappeared. The girl on fire has burned out. Im not saying you can't do it, heck you're the only one that could pull her out of this, but it's going to take time and patience. It will get extremely frustrating and she will probably hate everyone including you for awhile. But Peeta you need to help her and save her." Haymitch took one last swig and past out right on his cracked leather couch that smelled of mildew and stale piss.

I stared at him for a few minutes thinking about how much he was actually worrying about Katniss. How he observed how much pain she was in. granted we all had our losses and stressful times but he seemed lost with the thought of not being able to help her. Drinking and stress had aged him, there was frown lines around his mouth and he seemed 20 years older than he actually was. I took the liquor bottle out of his hands and poured it down the drain. I would come back another day to pour the rest of his hard liquor down the drain. Since the revolt was over it was time to sober up. I cleaned up old dishes and put some things away before leaving Haymitch and going back to my house.

I walked up the stairs and fell right into bed. The long day of traveling had left me drowsy. Once my head hit the pillow I was out like a light.

Waking up had to be the hardest part of the day. the blankets had accepted me into a warm embrace. I didn't want to disappoint them so I stay cuddle up in my down comforter for 15 more minutes. Tossing off the comforter sitting upright I started to stretch. POP POP POP my back start to crack. Turning from side to side, touch my toes, and reach for the ceiling. That was my old man stretch routine. I put on a pair of running pants and made my way down stairs to go for a morning run.

Starting at a slow jog I thought about Katniss and all that has happened. One memory really hit me.

"Peeta you need to eat." Katniss said with a worried tone. "You need to stay strong and ALIVE."

"Not before you have any." I passed back the broth back to the girl I had been in love with since kindergarten. She tried handing me the bowl of lukewarm broth. Barely opening my tired eyes I looked at her, I shut my mouth as tight as I could until she would take a small sip.

"Fine! See," she took a small sip of it before raising her eyebrows. Her brown hair was dry and tangled into something that had a resemblance to a birds nest. And her faces had spots of dried blood on it that had crusted. But her eyes were still like an overcast sea and she had the look of a stubborn mule. Even though she looked terrible I thought she was the most interesting and beautiful girl alive. She held the broth to my lips, looking at me expectantly.

"Drink, now." I slowly took a sip. We took small sips until the broth was gone. I started to close my heavy lidded eyes. She slowly kissed my lips. Soft and almost like they weren't actually touching. After her small tender lips left mine I fell into the only somewhat peaceful sleep in the Hunger Games.

I slowed to a jog as I approached the Victors Village. The path was rocky and I was exhausted from running 10 miles. Now a days that was the only way to keep myself and my soul sane. My t-shirt was soaked through with sweat. I started to pull off my gross piece of clothing, but I didn't want any onlookers to feel uncomfortable so I put the hem back down. I passed Katniss's house and looked in to the window. She sat there in a chair just staring out the window. Her eyes seemed millions of miles away. She looked at nothing, lost in her own hell. Turning back around I decided to go to her house after I got a shower and picked up around the house.

I turned my shower onto the hottest setting it was capable of and peeled off my sweat soaked clothing. I stepped into the sleek white tile shower that the former capital had designed. I had to admit it was a great shower. The shower had 15 different settings ranging from self scrubber to steamer. It also had built in scents that if you pushed a button the shower would fill up with the scent of fresh cut grass or roses. I stepped into my amazing and let the hot water relax my tense muscles. I pressed the button for soap and lathered every square inch of my body. I spent another 20 minutes in the shower thinking about nothing before I decided it was time to get out. My hands were also started to prune. I grab my ragged old towel and dried off. I walked into my bedroom and grabbed pants and a little t-shirt. That was my normal uniform since living in 13 for so long. I towel dried my hair and walked down stairs to my stainless steel kitchen.

Remembering cheese buns were Katniss's favorite before the revolution. I grabbed all the ingredients and started to make the bread that I knew from heart. The dough felt natural beneath my hands. It squished and rolled underneath my experienced fingers. I missed the peace I felt when making bread or any type of pastry. A certain calmness settled over me as I kneaded in each ingredient. After folding as much love as I could into the dough I put it in the oven and covered it with cheese.

I sat on my plush couch that faced the windows that overlooked a few overgrown trees and a patch of drooping roses. I hated the sight of them and wanted them gone. They looked miserable, dead, and gloomy. After I visited Katniss today I would go and dig up those ugly stupid roses and start planting things that made someone smile not grimace. The looked like it would be overcast all day and a good day just to cuddle up by the fire. The cheese bun alarm sounded while I was still looking outside. I pulled them out and my mouth drooled as I opened the oven door. Putting them in a basket and burning my hands I was out the door in seconds and walking over to Katniss's.

I knocked on the door tentatively at first unsure if she would let me in. I waited a minute and heard no footsteps behind the door. I knocked again louder incase she couldn't hear me. I waited for 5 minutes with still no response and that's when Haymitch walked out of his house.

"Boy, she's not coming to the door. Just go in she doesn't really get up or acknowledge anything." Then he walked toward the direction of the market, where he'd probably buy more hard liquor and a piece of meat for this week.

I hesitated for a moment, it felt very improper just to walk in. I guess we both had been through so much that it didn't really matter anymore. I twisted the brass door handle and slowly pushed the door in.