Chapter Five

The Girl On Fire

"Hey Catnip." Peeta turned around to come face to face with the devil. Gale Hawthorne.

"WHY ARE YOU HERE?" Peeta screams with anger. "WHO SAID YOU COULD COME ON THE TRAIN? WERE GOING TO THE GAMES!"

Katniss rushes through the door with a smile on her face. She opens her arms wide as she runs toward Gale. She falls into his arms and cries. "I missed you so much Gale! Why did you leave me? I cant cope with 2 kids by myself!"

Peeta's eyes narrow. "All by yourself? ALL BY YOURSELF? What am I? Huh?"

"Peeta- I- I- No, don't leave." Katniss stammered as Peeta storms out of the room.

"Katniss, I miss you too. And don't worry too much about Peeta, he'll do fine without you."

"No, Peeta isn't like that. He would never forget about me for a second. But, you're right. Peeta needs discipline. I guess I can spend some time with my old pal Gale." replies Katniss.

"Good. The train isn't the one they had before. This one goes slower. We have one week left till we arrive at the Capital. I really don't know why it will take so long though." questions Gale.

"Eh, it doesn't matter. More time to spend with my kids." says Katniss as she smiles.

Gale wraps his arms around Katniss as she walks toward her bedroom. Katniss wants to push his arm off, but cant think of one reason why at the moment. Peeta hates me already, and Gale would be my second choice anyway.

"Gale, I think I'm gonna go to bed."

"Why tell me? Can't I come too? Or are you planning to sleep with Peeta?" asks Gale.

"Uh, I'm kind of married." She holds up her ring in proof.

"So what! I know you have feelings for me. Don't deny it." Gale says with his head held high.

"But Gale, Peeta. He's my husband. I love him. But your right. I do sorta kind of. And I guess it wouldn't do any harm." Says Katniss with regret.

"I knew you wouldn't refuse." says Gale and he follows Katniss to bed.

Katniss gets in her bed and Gale goes to the other side. "Don't do anything that Peeta will get mad at me for doing."

"Ohhhh Catnip. What has he done to you?" laughs Gale as he is barely on the bed holding on for dear life.

. . .

Peeta watches as Gale follows Katniss into the spare bedroom. He knew that he shouldn't have talked back to his wife. Will she ever forgive him? Peeta already forgave her. He loves her with all his heart. Peeta cries into his arm as he walks to their bedroom slowly.

"Dad? Why are you crying?"

Peeta turns around to find Lily with her pajama's on.

"None of your business." replies to Lily with anger.

"Dad, Mom will forgive you."

"What are you talking about?" quickly replies Peeta to his daughter.

"I think I realized you talked to yourself a long time ago. How do you think I know a lot of your old stories that no one listens too?"

"NO ONE LISTENS TO THEM?"

"Nope. Even Mom hates them."

"Ugh, she hates everything about me."

"Are you sure? Why did she marry you then? Huh?"

"She didn't."

"What? That doesn't make any sense?"

"It was all for the sake of our lives. We were selfish. She didn't even realize I was alive before the reaping."

"But.. Still"

"She never really married me. We did it for the camera's. She is still Katniss Everdeen. The girl on fire."

Peeta cries when he says this. He was never really married. All he has done for her. And she goes and sleeps with him. Gale.

"G'night Lily."

"Night Dad. See you tomorrow!"

Peeta walks into his room alone. He curls up and goes to sleep. His nightmares are constantly about losing Katniss. Will he ever have good dreams without her next to him?