So I came back from camp, last week...I kind of maybe stayed two extra weeks... (Embarrassed blush) I apologize that I couldn't alert you all. Now that that's over and done: I have a new chapter for you!

It's more serious than the other two, so keep that in mind. And there are mentions of suicide, so if that bothers you, don't read this chapter. Anywho, I hope that you enjoy this chapter; it's a slightly different style than my normal.

So, Reviews and PMs are always welcome, along with constructive (or not) criticism…Only thing I ask, is please do not swear in any of your messages to me…I have a firm belief against cursing… This also means for you, that if Peeta or Katniss or someone is upset, and they do curse, I'll literally say:

"Katniss cursed at the bedpost as she fell to the ground"

So, new chapter! Enjoy!

I made Katniss take it easy after that. She tried to argue with me, but I was forceful. This pattern continued until her leg was better. Then I realized that she was getting slimmer again, in the stomach area. That was when I realized something was wrong. Women don't gain and lose wait that quickly, not naturally anyways. So one day, when she was very pale and looked sickly, I pretended to go off to work, so I kissed the top of her head and started to walk towards the bakery. Quickly I looped around and sat right below the window next to the back door, and listened for the telltale creak of our old bathroom door. That would allow me easy access to the house through the back. After about ten minutes, I heard the creak and slowly opened the door to my house. I crept in and went up the stairs, and into my room, from which I could hear nearly all of the first floor, including the bathroom. At first, I heard nothing. But then, I listened closer and I heard gagging, and coughing. I listened again and I heard my wife vomit.

I searched my mind for anything she might have eaten or consumed that would have made her sick. Nothing. She was making herself sick.

"Katniss, what have you done to yourself?" I thought.

Obviously, there was an issue. My wife was in the bathroom trying to make herself sick, and I was just listening to it. I had no solutions at that point, but felt as if I couldn't stand, let alone leave the room.

"What is causing my wife to purposely make herself sick?" I wondered. "Am I to blame for this predicament? Is she Bulimic? Is that my fault? Is she still suicidal? Is she hurting herself?"

My mind raced and I laid back down on the bed. This was going to be a hard day.

I somehow found it within me to eventually leave the house and go to work as I was supposed to, but the whole time, my thoughts were on Katniss. I was worried to the point of anxiety about what she was doing to herself at home. So worried, in fact, that I burned myself 5 times on the same arm and had to be sent to the hospital because I didn't feel the pain since I was focused so strongly on her. They cleaned and bandaged my lower and upper arm, and then sent me home and told me to be more careful. I promised that I would be and then drove straight home. She was sitting at the kitchen table as if nothing ever happened. I knew something had though, because she didn't immediately notice the sterile white bandages against the tan of my skin tone. Which was fine, I didn't want her to worry about me anyways. She was my main concern. I sat down across from her, and started asking her questions. At first they were simple.

"What's your middle name?"

"How old are you?"

"What's your favourite color?"

"How many years have we been married?"

Then I got to the hard questions.

"What did you do today?"

"Are you feeling alright now?"

"Are you having urges to hurt yourself, kill, yourself or make yourself sick?"

"Are you following those urges?"

I almost didn't want to know the answers to some of these questions. I mean, no one wants to find out that while they go to work, their wife is hurting herself. It tore me to pieces, listening to her responses.

"Lacey"

"23"

"Forest green"

"7 years"

"I um...stayed home because I wasn't feeling good."

"Not really, actually. I'm not feeling much better than I was 20 minutes a-I mean this morning..."

"Why would you ask such a stupid question? Do you really think I'm hurting myself? Or suicidal? Or making myself sick?"

"What do you think? I don't have scars up and down my arms, do I? How could you even think of asking me something so personal? I feel so...so...violated! And I'm not making myself sick either...it just happens whenever I-" she stopped herself to cuss, making it known that she'd let too much information slip.

"It happens whenever you what, Katniss? I want to know, not so I can pity you, but so I can help you. You got very defensive when I asked if you'd been hurting yourself, which makes me think that you were. Along with that, you're clearly having some sort of digestive disorder, considering you've been getting thinner within the week. That's not healthy, sweetheart. I love you to death, which is why I'm telling you this. Not because I want to hurt you, or make you feel dependent. Because I love you. I love you. "

Katniss took that as a good time to change the subject.

"What happened?" she asked and slightly gestured to my arm.

"You happened, Katniss. I burned myself so badly that I had to be taken to the hospital, because of you, Katniss. I love you and I was so worried about you this morning when I went to work. I was distracted and irritable and I wasn't paying attention. That's what happened, Katniss. "

I spit the last few words out, because now I was angry with the fact that she wouldn't believe how worried I was about her. I could feel an attack coming on and I didn't want her to see or face the wrath of it.

"Katniss, please go to our room and lock the door. I don't want to hurt you, so please don't make me explain. Just do it." I pleaded.

She tried to protest but after hearing the desperation in my voice, was unsure of what was happening, so she followed my orders quickly. Which then made me worry again that she was going to do something to herself in there, but I didn't have time to maintain my regrets as I went into a full on tracker-jacker venom induced attack.

I saw distorted flashbacks of Katniss, trying to kill my family. And then when she failed trying to kill herself, and succeeding. When I broke out of the attack, it had been two and a half hours, and I was curled up in a ball crying on the floor.

That was when I decided that I needed to solve this, and I needed help. I picked up the telephone and dialed her mother. Her mom picked up on the third ring, sounding exhausted.

"Hello, Peeta. Is there a problem?"

From there I explained all of the things I had just talked about with Katniss, and she listened, inputting her comments on things every once in a while. Then she explained to me.

"When Katniss was younger, she was very carefree, and happy. She loved life and flowers and things that young girls are supposed to like. Then she got older and matured in a sense. There was still the fun-loving girl that we all loved, but it took lots of digging to get there. When her father died, it was the last straw. Prim was only 8, and so Katniss took it upon herself to mother her, and take care of her. That was when she first started hurting herself. She thought I didn't notice, because of the inconspicuous places where she would do it on herself, but a mother always knows. I started removing things from her room, things that she might try and use to hurt herself again, but it was no use. She found ways and I found sorrow. That was part of the reason I was so out of everything. I remembered hearing about my husband's death and being shocked, but the combination of that and this new revelation with Katniss, it was enough to put me over the edge. She also became suicidal during that time in her life, but was unable to express her desires except to Gale, who would then come back and inform me what she had said while they were out hunting. I was so worried about her, and she had thought that I didn't care. It wasn't that I didn't care about her and Prim, rather it was that I cared too much. She worried me with her talk to Gale about things she could do to herself. It scared me, and frightened me into submission. She has had many relapses in the past 9 years, I will tell you that, but only one while she's been married to you. The best thing to do, is to tell her she's beautiful, amazing and extraordinary. Shower her with compliments and show and tell her how much you care. She will bounce back, eventually..."

And that was that for my conversation with Mrs. Everdeen. I went to bed on the couch that night, but I didn't fall asleep, I just lay there and thought of all of the ways I could make Katniss feel loved.

Sooooo...how was it? I know that this chapter made the entire story go into a new plot, but this actually was my plan...(as of today when I wrote this...:P) anywho, I plan on getting another chapter up this week, but a few reviews or PMs might speed that process up a bit...(hint hint) So, in short, please read, review, PM, and tell your friends to read my story. It would mean the world to me, and it would be a great birthday present...(August 5th...)

Thanks everyone!

-mrspeetamellark97

Responses to reviews:

TWIMOMJAIME: thanks so much! It's here now!