I'M SO FREAKING HACKING SORRY! It's been over a month and though I've been extremely busy, I updated my other story. I wanted to update this one so badly, but I just needed inspiration, which I didn't really have until today. It's not very good, and for that, I apologize again. I'll try to update soon, but I don't know what I should do, or if anyone is even interested anymore! :( Sorry again!

Enjoy!

Chapter Ten

Pushing the weight of Peeta off of me, I sit up. I hear the thud of Peeta hitting the floor. I take a deep breath, which ends up sounding like a gasp. Though he's off of me, I feel like my chest is being crushed by an extreme weight. I try to say something, but all that comes out are awkward chokes that suggest I need to breathe; I can't breathe. Soon Peeta is at my side again, holding my hand, begging me to take deep breathes. I feel like throwing up, but I know there is nothing to throw up.

"Get her some water!" Peeta screams. Mrs. Mellark nods and rushes down the stairs. "You're okay," he tells me. He squeezes my hand, "Just calm down." When his mother returns, she hands me the glass of water. I shake my head, not wanting water. "Yes," he nods, nearly forcing me to drink it. "It'll make you feel better," he says gently. I comply; Peeta knows best.

When I finish, I actually do feel a bit better. My breathing slows, but my head aches, it throbs, actually. I shut my eyes, and reopen them. I nearly scream when I see Mrs. Mellark squatting next to Peeta. I had to have imagined what she just said. I had to.

"Katniss," she whispers, reaching for my hand. "Katniss I have to tell you something." I pull my hand back, and wrap it around Peeta's neck. She swallows hard, "Katniss, I… I know how stressful my news has been for you lately, but, um, I think you need to hear this." I shake my head. I don't need, nor want, to hear this. She ignores me. "I was looking at records I have of the boys… and records I have of my personal life- a diary." She clears her throat, "In my diary, I have the dates of events that can possibly tell us who you're related to." She takes a deep breath and holds up a paper that looks to have been ripped out of a book. "This says that I was with your father and Peeta's father nine months before Peeta's birthday." My hand slowly slips from Peeta's neck. "It says the same for Rye."

"You're wrong," I whisper. "I'm not related to either one of them."

She shakes her head. "We don't know that for sure, honey."

"Don't call me that," I hiss.

"Sorry," she mumbles. "But Katniss, you need to understand that there is a possibility that you could have a brother."

"I don't want a brother," I say, sitting up.

"I know you don't," she tells me. "But there's a-"

"A possibility," I interrupt her angrily, "I know." I stand up and begin walking away.

"It's not my fault, you know," Mrs. Mellark says.

I stop, scoffing, "Are you kidding me?" I turn around, facing her. "Did you just say that?" She nods, and I shake my head. "You're inane. Of course it's your fault!"

"It wasn't supposed to be this way," she says, still unmoved from her position.

I snort. "Of course it wasn't supposed to be this way! Want to know why? Because spouses are supposed to stay with spouses, not go off and make babies with other people's spouses!" I see how uncomfortable Peeta is, and I feel a bit bad.

I run down stairs, and run into Mrs. Mellark in the kitchen. He seems upset, and I just know it's because of yesterday's events and what they've revealed.

I mumble an apology, but all he says is, "No, it's not your fault."

I know.

Hearing Mrs. Mellark screaming after me only encourages me to leave. "I won't tell her where you went," he whispers to me. I look up and furrow my eyebrows at the man; I never speak more than a handful of words to him. "Go on, I know where you want to go. I'll say you ran into town." Before I can thank him, he pushes me out the door.

Without hesitation, I break out into a sprint. Mr. Mellark said he knew where I wanted to go; it's obvious. I'm only ever truly at peace in the woods. I pass several people, but no one even bothers to try and talk to me. I'm soon at the fence, and I slid under it easily. I pick up my bow and arrow and my bag then continue running.

Out of frustration, I aim at things I shouldn't. I'm not out here to find food, but I end up shooting down a couple of rabbits, squirrels and even birds. Not once do I slow down, though. Every time I bring something down, I merely run by it, pick it up and throw it into my bag. After a while, I skid to a stop in front of mine and my father's favorite spot. The lake.

I don't skip a beat as I throw my things and clothes on the ground and jump into the lake. Being only in my undergarments, I should feel a bit uncomfortable, which I do. But no one's here, so I slowly calm down. I swim around for a while, remembering how my father and I used to come out here. He taught me how to swim when I was younger, just like he taught me how to hunt.

I quickly become sad as memories of my father summon to my mind. As the need to sob hits me, I come to the bank of the lake, and begin crawling out. With no will to keep going, I flop on my back, staring at the sky. Again, I recall something my father and I used to do. I watch the clouds float, and decided which cloud looks like what animal as I once did. I can feel the hot tears sting my cheeks, and I quickly wipe them away.

"It wasn't supposed to be this way, she said," I say as if I'm talking to someone. "Isn't that obvious, though? No one would want to go through that!" I shake my head and sit up. "But it's defiantly her fault. I mean, how is it not?" I play with the mud around me. "If it weren't for her, there wouldn't be the possibility of me having a brother."

Sighing, I wash my hands. "I guess it's also your fault, too, isn't it, dad?" I look up to sky, and realize that my father did have a part in this. I undo my braid, and let the soft wind rush through my hair. "If you were here, you'd know what to do." I shake my head. "If you were here, I wouldn't even be in this situation."

"I know what you did wasn't intended to hurt me or Prim or anyone else… but seriously?" I cross my legs and run a hand through my hair. "It was our freaking bed time story! How could you sit there and tell us a story that was true? And that was about you?"

This whole situation has merely enforced my negativity toward love, marriage, and children. It all leads to despair, and heartbreak. Already breaking one of my promises to myself, I know it'll be hard keeping the others- that is if I keep them. I stare at the perfect lake, deciding that I should bring Prim here and try to teach her how to swim. It may not go well, because when father and I tried to teach her how to hunt, she had a fit about hurting the animals. I'll try hard this time, though. Father would want her to enjoy it.

"Peeta could be my brother," I whisper. "Do you know how strange that is?" I look at the trees around me, seeing how the wind moves the branches only slightly. "You've always known that he or Rye could be my brother. That's why you and Mrs. Mellark stopped talking, right?" I stick my feet in the water, digging a small hole with my heels. "I know I'm right… When Peeta and I were younger, though, didn't you think about it? How I could be hanging out with my brother?" I shut my eyes tight. "How I could be falling for my brother," I whisper.

"So it's Peeta," I hear a low voice say. I turn to see Gale leaning on a tree, staring at all of my stuff sprawled across the ground. "I kind of saw that coming."

I shake my head. "What are you doing here?"

He walks toward me and then sits next to me. "I went to the bakery to visit you, and they said you ran off into town. It took all I had not to laugh at their faces. I knew you'd be here."

Of course he knew I was here. He knows me.

"Peeta knew you weren't in town, too. I could tell by the way he rolled his eyes when Mrs. Mellark told me." I nod, already knowing that Peeta figured it out the second I left. He slightly chuckles. "So when did you start talking to yourself?"

I slightly blush. "How long have you been standing there?"

He shrugs. "Long enough. Now why were you talking to yourself?"

I point to the sky. "I like to think that my dad was listening."

He raises his eyebrows. "You know you sound insane, right?"

I nod. "Yup. But what's even more insane is that I want to date my brother."

He shakes his head as he pokes my side. "Well aren't you a messed up little freak?"

I roll my eyes. "Yes, I know."

After wiping his hands, he ruffles my hair. "Now put some clothes on so we can see who's related to my little freak."

He stands as I furrow my eyebrows together. "What? No, 'let's talk about it'?"

He shakes his head as he grabs my hand and pulls me up. "I think you and your dad talked it out enough." Smiling, I walk over to my stuff. He chuckles. "I love how you're not awkward around me while you're just wearing a bra and underwear."

I roll my eyes. "You won't think perverted things, will you? I mean, you're like my brother."

He laughs as I start getting redressed. "I'm a guy. I'll always think perverted."

"Turn around, you pervert" I hiss. He puts his hands up in surrender as he turns. "You may be like my brother, but it's still weird."

"I bet you wouldn't care if Mellark was watching!" he laughs. Growling, I reach forward and step on the back of his calf. Not expecting it, he tumbles forward, and falls straight on his face. I laugh as I slip on my boots, the last part of my outfit. He sits up, and spits out dirt. Wiping his mouth, he shakes his head. "I regret nothing."

Grabbing my things, I walk off, and he's soon behind me, still covered in dirt. "You dork," I laugh.

He slightly pushes me. "I made you laugh, though!"

I nod, smiling. "Yeah, you did."

He shrugs. "So it was worth it." I hug him from the side, thanking him. "For what?"

"For being an amazing friend."

He smiles down at me as we walk together back toward District 12. Gale is truly my best friend; my brother. I don't know what I'd do without him. I love him, but like a sibling, and it's the same for him. I know we aren't as close as Peeta and I, but I think that's because we don't love each other like that.

We laugh and talk as we walk back into town. I tease Gale when Madge, the mayor's daughter, walks by, and he does nothing but gawk at her. I want him to say hi to her, but he denies the feelings I know he has for her. Sooner than wanted, we're at the bakery, and I have to face what might be one of the most complicated things any human being could ever go through.

"You'll be fine," he tells me as we hug.

"You're a terrible liar," I groan.

He shakes his head. "I am not! Besides, I'm not lying! You're strong, and you have Peeta." I nod, knowing that Peeta can get me through anything. After tugging on my loose hair, he grins. "If you get through this, I'll talk to Madge."

I smirk. "Oh, it's on."

It wasn't long, but it wasn't short. I hoped you liked it! I love you all and please review! I need the help! If you have any ideas, please message me! I got a lot of help on my other stories when I requested a buddy to keep me going, so I'm hoping I can do the same here! Please, please message me if you have ideas! Tell me what you think!

Oh! And my friend and I recently got a twitter account. There's nothing on it, haha, but it would mean a lot to her and me if you followed us. Pretty please? victoria_marisa

Thanks again!