It's been how long since I've updated...

Thanks in advance for any and all support.

Disclaimer: I own nothing; just working with the idea.

Farm life started early and still he woke up earlier than anyone else in the house, everyone except Katniss. He wasn't sure what time she got up, but every morning Katniss had already beat him to it. Her mother wouldn't let Peeta leave the house, due to his head injury, but he got away with that by waking up at the time he did. He would walk around the house a few times and look out at the huge farm the Everdeen's had. He never really went too far in fear he would get lost. The last thing he wanted to do was make anybody angry for not listening or snooping.

Mrs. Everdeen had set him up with his own room downstairs. It was their office, but they managed to bring up a twin bed from the basement and that was officially Peeta's room. He had been in his room one day when Mrs. Everdeen accidentally walked in; she had forgotten they had set him up there. That's how he found out what part of the farming season it was. They were one month from it officially being off-season, the part of the year for them to do paperwork for the farm to be up and ready for the actual season. Mrs. Everdeen had let him know that bookkeeping was not their strong suit on the farm. They had to set up counts on how much seed they would need according to how big the land was.

"Square inches and stuff…Math…I was never good at that in school." Mrs. Everdeen had sighed before she left the room. Peeta had to admit that it did seem a bit more complicated than expected. He thought they would just be planting and taking care of the animals, but apparently there was more to it. But Peeta could sense there was more to all of this business; something no one wanted to talk about. For now, he was just grateful that by the time the hard work actually started, he would be ready to lend a hand.

For the time he was stuck inside, his mission was to wake up early enough to see what Katniss did every morning. He went to sleep extra early the previous night and left the door cracked a bit in preparation for his mission. The day he was finally able to catch her was about a week and half into his stay.

She had stumbled down the stairs and it was the only reason he had woken up. Peeta was still sleepy regardless of the fact he had slept for almost twelve hours. His eyes shot open when he realized he could catch her. He got out of bed as quietly as possible, but instantly froze when he heard footsteps heading in his direction. Peeta dived back under the covers, adjusted them loosely around him, and turned away from the door. He closed his eyes just as he heard the creak from his door. His ears picked up the sounds of boots making their way through the room. The only thing Peeta could think is that she was looking for something in the desk that was in his room, but he never heard her move towards it. He felt the bottom of the bed dip and heard her let out a sigh. He felt her stand up and watched her stop right in front of him.

Oh god, Peeta could only think that she knew he was awake. Instead, she gently caressed his forehead, rearranging his bed hair. "I'm sorry." She whispered before she readjusted his sheets so they covered him. She finally left the room and Peeta opened his eyes. He touched his head where she had touched him and wondered what she had to be sorry for. She couldn't possibly be apologizing for the fight still. Peeta shook his head to clear his thoughts as he remembered that Katniss was on the move.

The guilt of the situation weighed on her everyday Peeta was in the house. Had they never met, he wouldn't have felt inclined to interfere in her life. Peeta would have never been in a fight with Cato and he could have went back to living the great life he was supposed to. It only made sense that someone like him belonged surrounded by piles of money, loved, and happy. But she had ruined that for him. He couldn't remember who he was or where he had come from and it was all her fault. Peeta didn't deserve to be stuck in this life; her life. She sighed heavily as she jumped out of the tree.

Her mother had asked Gale to find out what he could about Peeta. He didn't ask her mother why, but Katniss knew he would ask her. Katniss told him they were just curious, which she instantly caught he didn't believe her. They hadn't told Gale that Peeta had some form of amnesia or that he was staying with them; Katniss could only imagine the fit he would throw.

Katniss perched herself right on the outskirts of the plain. She had traveled pretty far this morning and she knew that this was mustang territory. She remembered her father had always warned her about going out towards the plains. She remembered seeing the beautiful green terrain for the first time and wanting to run out and roll around in it. Her father had let her know that all though all seemed quiet, it was extremely dangerous to be out here. Wild animals roamed and sometimes, they ran in packs or herds. Getting mauled by a herd of anything was just as dangerous as getting cornered by a pack of carnivores.

This was where she had found that wild turkey. Katniss hoped she could have the same luck today but she knew that turkeys roamed another plain and the one she'd caught had become an easy target once it had strayed from it's group.

Katniss managed to find some tracks, but the ones she found weren't from a turkey but that of deer. As long as she found something, it was fine with her whatever it was. She stepped a little further away from the wooded area and into the clearing to follow the tracks. Her eyes narrowed when two hundred feet away, across the plain on the other side of the woods, was a doe. Katniss readied her bow, but the animal moved and Katniss cursed. It was moving back towards the woods and if it did, she wouldn't be able to get a clean shot without making her presence known. Katniss' only option was to move along a tree that had fallen the length across the plain. She crept as slowly and efficiently as possible, never taking her eyes off her prey until she had a clear shot.

Katniss steadied her shot when the doe's ears perked up, picking up something. It was now or never and Katniss let go of the arrow. The doe fell to the ground as the arrow ended her life. She let out a sigh of relief as she stood up and stretched. At least, they would have something to eat. She tossed her bow over her shoulder and jumped over the fallen tree to make her way to her prize, when suddenly the ground under her feet started to shake. Her head rose to see a herd of wild horses turn in her direction.

She froze. This was her worst nightmare come true. Her head was telling her to move, but she couldn't. Her feet were rooted to the ground. This was the way she was going to die; just like her father almost had. Fate wasn't having it as Katniss' ears picked up sound from her right. She couldn't turn her head as she was frozen in fear.

"Katniss! What are you doing? Run!" She heard it, but she couldn't go. "Move!" Footsteps got closer when Katniss was suddenly tackled to the ground. Peeta rolled them into an opening in the fallen tree and held on to her tightly just as the herd moved through the spot they had just been standing. He covered her body with his, shielding her from anything that could happen from here on out.

The sound above them settled down and Peeta raised his head to try and get a good listen. It was silent, so he crawled over Katniss' still body and looked around.

"It's okay now. Come on." He coaxed but Katniss was curled up in a ball where he had left her. "Katniss?" Peeta crawled back in and turned her to look at him. Her eyes were open wide in fear and she was mumbling something. Peeta lay down next to her and pulled her into him. Whatever had just happened was obviously significant in her life. He rocked her until she fell asleep then he followed and drifted off as well.

Katniss awoke hours later. It was the worst nightmare she had ever had. What was weird is that Peeta had been there. She tries to stretch out only to find herself trapped. She tries to move, but the grip around her tightens. Her arms come up to try and push herself away when they come in contact with a strong chest. Katniss' eyes go wide. Her eyes quickly scan her surroundings. It was dark, humid, and this was definitely not her room. Her eyes start to adjust to the lack of light and catch that the figure in front of her was a man. It was Peeta. But what was she doing here, in this place, a tree, in his arms?

"The nightmare." She whispers. But it wasn't a nightmare; it was real which meant that she was in Peeta's arms because he had saved her. Again.

She's suddenly angry and furiously pushes him away. He stirs in his sleep, giving her a sleepy smile. "Hey," he mutters. Katniss continues to wiggle out of his grasp so Peeta lets her go. "What's wrong?" He watches her crawl out of the hole in the tree and stomp her way back home. "Hey!" Peeta yells as he follows her out.

"Leave me alone!" Katniss yells back at him.

"What?! What's wrong?" He reaches for her hand which she violently pulls away from him.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"Uh, I just wanted to see what you did every morning...I don't know…" She turns towards him and pushes him away.

"Stop it!" She yells

"Stop what?"

"This," Katniss pushes him away again. "Stop saving me! I will never be able to pay you back if you keep doing this!" She shouts some more.

"You don't owe me anything, Katniss!"

"You've saved me twice already! I'm never going to be able pay back my debt!"

"Katniss, I looked for that fight! Me! On my own! I would have done it for anybody!"

"But you didn't! You did it for me!" She turns from him finally and starts running towards home.

"Katniss, wait!" He makes a move towards her but decides against it. Peeta slams his fists against the tree. Didn't Katniss understand that everything he did wasn't with anything behind it? How did she expect him to just stand there and watch her get hurt, if not die? He'd never allow it; not now, before, or ever if he could control it.

With a groan, Peeta makes his way over to the dead doe. She'd probably get mad at him again for saving them if he brought it, but he wasn't about to let her hard work go to waste. Maybe she'd take in consideration that this animal wasn't light and take it easy on him. Somehow, he knew Katniss would never make it that easy.