A/N: Sorry sorry sorry sorry SORRY!

Shit I've been too caught up in my other story since its almost ending and then first semester of uni started! And I've been taking a break for 6 months too long and it was kind of hard to catch up, not to mention that I'm studying away from home.

Forgive mehhh dear readers! I shall be more careful next time, and I've started posting previews in my blog when I can't update in a while so check them out in your free time.

Shout outs to ButterflyFlyToMe, bookgroupie and hmweasley. Reviews are the best!

ButterflyFlyToMe: Glad I can induce emotion with my writing! Nope, 23 years is how long Haymitch had been a mentor before Katniss and Peeta came.

R&R

"Katniss?"

Katniss realized that she was walking mechanically as she woke up from her daze and found herself in the woods. She didn't stop as if someone was leading her as she looked up and gazed at the familiar treetops, filtering the lazy sunrays that shimmered with the dancing leaves and wind.

The woods had always been crowded with trees than any other vegetation that she had ever seen, but it was never that dense to stop her from telling the time or her destination for as long as she could remember.

She could easily tell that it was past noon on an early spring day.

Her old self's favorite day.

"Katniss! Are you listening to me?" The brunette whipped her head to her side where her not-so-little sister's disapproving gaze was directed towards her and blinked uncertainly as if she was facing an odd sight.

This must be a dream then. Since she wouldn't bring Prim to the woods on a day like this, it would be a waste of a perfect hunting day." Of course, little duck." She said, before further adding at the blonde's obvious dissatisfied look. "What about the old cat?"

The corner of the younger girl's lips lifted up into that dazzling smile of hers that no one could ever help but love and Katniss had the sudden urge to hug and desperately keep her close. "I haven't seen Buttercup for a while."

"That old cat survived a bombing. I don't know what would kill him these days." The huntress remarked, letting a faint smile pass her lips as well and kept her eyes trained on her giggling sister as if their entwined hands weren't enough to keep a hold of her. As if her dear sister could run ahead and disappear into the thick foliage ahead, attacked by wild dogs, snakes or got caught by the invisible evil that had been constantly watching over them all their life that they never noticed. Lost and never to be found again.

"Oh, don't tease him, Katniss. He'd gone through a lot." Prim reprimanded as much as the smile plastered on her face allowed.

Then she didn't know if everything had happened so fast or if she was just paying too much attention to her sister's beautiful blue eyes. Rue's four note whistle rang through the air, loud and clear as if the whole population of mockinjays around her were whistling it, passing the small girl's greetings that she was alright. Prim transformed into the small, pinkish bird that she remembered and took off. And then nothing was there.

Nothing except the strong warmth of spring that lingered beside her, not even black.

And then there was another set of blue orbs watching her as usual. Awake and alert as if afraid that someone would whisk her away or change her into some kind of horrifying mutt in a blink of an eye.

"Hello." The brunette started lamely, earning a smile from the blonde beside her. "Can't sleep?"

"Yeah, just the usual." Peeta knew that he didn't need to elaborate at the nightmares going on in his head every night. "You seem calm tonight."

He didn't lay himself down from his watching position and started stroking her hair as if telling her to sleep again instead. There wasn't a questioning tone in his previous statement, but the brunette couldn't shake the feeling of humiliation at her selfishness. She always seemed to be willing, almost eager at times to share her bad dreams to him, when he rarely does, so what rights does she have for keeping the good ones to herself.

"There was Prim in the woods and she was worried about buttercup." The huntress started uncertainly, "And then Rue showed up and they flew together."

"She was worried about Buttercup?" The baker lifted a blond eyebrow and stopped his hands momentarily as if the question occupied his whole being to ask.

"I know, its weird. I mean, even I'm surprised that brute is still alive." Katniss huffed uncharacteristically.

It felt like she hadn't had a peaceful sleep in such a long time that she had forgotten that her body had the ability to conjure up some good dreams every once in awhile when bad became an understatement of her mental condition. And such a good opportunity had just been wasted by the old cat which she just noticed hasn't been showing up lately.

"Isn't it because they don't find the need to get worried over you again." The blonde who had stopped any movements and fell into deep thought himself startled his partner when he suddenly spoke again.

In between the fatigue that seemed to be weighing her ever since she started to start her old routines again and the delicious warmth from the baker beside her, it seemed like an impossible feat to keep her mind awake. "Don't ever leave." She snuggled and mumbled against his chest.

"I won't." The brunette almost missed her own words from the blonde's lips as she let her eyelids flutter close. "That's what you and I do. Protect each other."

"Always."