Hello hello! I want to apologize for the lack of update. With my family member still recovering, being in the school play, being in school in general, and life in general happening, I haven't had a lot of free time. But I'm here, and pleased to say this is not the last chapter. I took the advice of one reviewer, and made this the Katniss/Mom centric chapter. The next and final chapter will be Galeniss. So, I hope you enjoy! And stick around for the end, I have a question for all you amazing readers!

Disclaimer: Don't own the Hunger Games :)

The first thing I saw was Prim. Her blonde hair was tangled around her, curls caught in branches. Blue eyes were closed, wanting to hide the danger she was facing. I couldn't blame her. She had cuts covering her body, scrapes obstructing her delicate face. Blood dripped down her soft white skin. I wanted to cry, to scream, to run towards her and save her, never let go. But I couldn't do any of those things. She was tied to a tree; rope puncturing her skin with such a force I knew would leave scars. My sister and I would look more alike then ever. Prim had finally been abused, and for that my mother had to die.

She was standing a few yards away, watching me watch Prim. I did not want to acknowledge her. Not yet. I didn't know what to do, hadn't formulated a plan to stop her, murder her. I knew how to kill, of course, years of hunting gave me that ability. But never had I thought I would end up killing my own mother. During my years of abuse, it never once crossed my mind, simply because she was my own blood, the woman who gave me life. But now, she had hurt the one person in the world that didn't deserve pain. And for that, her life had to end.

Begrudgingly, my eyes removed themselves from Prim and focused on my mother. I neared her, taking small steps, bow and arrow in hand. I was ready to pierce her heart at a moment's notice.

A small pressure formed on my shoulder, and I turned to find Gale's hand on my shoulder, his gray eyes watching me warily. I pulled his hand off of me, and shook my head. I knew he meant well, and wanted to protect me, but I couldn't let him. He was here if anything happened, that's all. This was my battle.

I turned back around, and started towards her again, this time not stopping until I was about a yard away. Close enough to get a perfect shot, far enough to be safe. Although I knew no distance was far enough when it came to my mother.

"Mom," I said, finally ready to face her, face the confrontation that was years in the making. Her eyes remained solid, a stormy ocean blue that was the polar opposite of Prim's. Hers were soft, light as sky. My mother's were hard, a deadly hurricane that had me drowning my entire life.

"Katniss," she replied, and I resisted the urge to run. Everything in me was crying, begging me to run away, but I knew I couldn't. My sister's life was at stake. "I knew you wouldn't be long." I took a deep breath, trying to keep myself under control. My entire being wanted to break down, but I had to keep control of the situation, show her she didn't own me anymore.

"What do you want?" I asked her, my voice shaking slightly. My mother smiled, having heard the waver. I cursed myself silently.

"I wanted to see you. You're not dead, sadly, but the only way to get you to come to me was to get her," she said, motioning towards Prim. I didn't look to my sister. I knew if I did, I'd lose it. My eyes remained focus on the monster that was my mother. "I was sad to learn you hadn't died. I looked forward to knowing you were suffering, just like I had." I had suffered worse. Much worse. "Writhing in pain, seeing hallucinations." I cringed, memories of the trees trying to resurface. "But yet here you are. He saved you, didn't he?" She motioned towards Gale, who I didn't look at. I couldn't. My focus had to remain on my mother. Prim's life depended on it.

"What do you want?" I asked her again, not wanting to relive the torture she was describing. My mother grinned, a slippery serpent that lived in the dark depths of her eyes. A chill ran down my spine. It was the same look she had before she hit me for the first time.

"For you to watch."

In that moment, I knew what was going to happen. My mind yelled to run, to stop her, shoot her, anything. But I remained frozen, not able to believe what was happening. My mother approached Prim, who was whimpering and trying to shrink back into the tree, not exist. Before I had even realized it happened, a menacing crack rang out within the forest, echoing over and over again.

A dark pink handprint on her face.

I ran. The forest moved in a blur as I neared my mother. I pulled an arrow out, ready to shoot it through her heart, when suddenly I felt weightless. Strong arms wrapped around me, lifted me off the ground. My feet continued to run, beating the air. Gale stopped me from saving Prim. "Gale! Let go!" I screamed at him. Not even thinking, I started to hit him, although I knew it wouldn't hurt him at all. He wouldn't let me escape his grasp. I couldn't believe him. Prim was being hurt and he was doing nothing to stop her, to let me stop her.

I turned to look at him, anger coursing through my veins. In that moment, I hated him. No matter how much I loved Gale, I would always love Prim more. He watched me for a moment, and I knew he realized what I was feeling. He knew I could never forgive him. Gale motioned towards my mother with his head, and I turned immediately, not wanting to look at him anymore.

Suddenly, something in my mother's hand glistened in the rising sun. Her hand was outstretched towards us, holding what had been used for my planned demise.

A syringe filled to the brim with Nightlock berry juice. If I neared Prim, my mother would inject me, but this time my sister wouldn't be there to be my savior.

I stopped fighting. I remained motionless in Gale's arms, any feelings I had felt earlier towards him washed away with the revelation. He was saving my life.

I knew a slap wouldn't kill Prim, and he knew it too. But I was the only one that understood that there is nothing more haunting than having your mother look you in the eyes, then hit you. My sister would have to live with it for the rest of her existence.

My head turned, catching Gale's eye. Hunting instincts taking over, I gave him the look I got when I spotted an animal ready to shoot. He nodded, and released me.

Another slap rang out, and I cringed. Gale reached towards me, but I just took out my bow. I wasn't going to approach them. My arrow was.

My fingers hugged the soft string, and I placed the projectile into position. My arm pulled back, and without a moment's hesitation, released the arrow. It flew through the air swiftly, and implanted itself in my mother's arm.

The syringe was dropped instantly. She gasped in pain as scarlet liquid flowed from her arm, soaking her. With her free limb, my mother pulled the arrow out of her flesh, leaving a gaping hole that I knew wouldn't kill her immediately. But I didn't want it to.

I wanted to shoot her in the heart.

She turned towards me, ignoring Prim and the abuse she was bestowing her. I pulled back my arm, ready to watch my mother die. Watch her suffer the same way she made me suffer for years. Then, I saw it. A flicker across my mother's face.

It was her.

Not the monster I had known for years. Not my abuser. Not the woman who had tumbled down the dark steps of depression and never returned. My real mother.

The woman who would wake me up in the morning with a warm hug, and tell me stories before bed. The person who hugged me when I cried, took away the pain. My role model who always had a smile on her face, finding joy in everything, even when people were dying from starvation and being murdered for amusement on television. When she was around, I always forgot about those things. But, most importantly, I saw the woman my father had fallen in love with. And because of that, I couldn't kill my mother.

I dropped my bow on the ground, and kicked it away from me. She was watching me, trying to figure out what my angle was. But I had none. I wasn't a murderer, no matter what she was. I finally realized, I was not my mother.

We remained frozen in the forest, a photo captured in time. Her lungs begged for oxygen as the blood still flowed out of her veins, onto the earth. A part of me wanted to help her, but I could never forget what she had done. The pain she caused. Hearts she broke. Scars she created. I wasn't going to kill her, but I wasn't going to help her.

In those moments, we watched each other. Her blue eyes met my gray ones, but I couldn't make out the emotions. Too many swam in her eyes, love and hatred blurred by the tears. I shook my head, sending an apology that I knew she understood.

She ran. Away from daughters, her only tether to humanity. Her feet carried her in the opposite direction, deep into the forest where I knew, with her bleeding arm and lack of survival skills, she'd be dead in a matter of days. It hurt, but not as much my pain. Prim's pain.

Prim.

I ran to her, and Gale followed. He untied her from the tree, and she fell into my arms. I held her close, picking twigs out of her golden hair. Gale remained silently in the background.

"She's gone," Prim whispered softly, and I couldn't tell whether it was from relief, or sadness. We had loved her, at one point. But our mother was gone. And with her she took a piece of my shattered heart.

Prim started to sob, wetting my shoulder with her tears. I didn't care. I held her, rubbing soothing circles into her back. A teardrop fell. My hand reached up, and I realized I was crying. I went to wipe it away, but something stopped me. Having kept everything bottled in for too long, I couldn't do it anymore. I pulled my baby sister closer, and cried.

I was the girl who cried for hope, wishing the world was a better place.

I was the girl who cried for her sister, wanting to fight away her monsters.

But most of all, I was the girl who cried for herself, the unconditional love of a parent, gone.

I hope you all enjoyed it, and that it was worth the wait! I really tried to get Katniss angry, but then she couldn't kill her. So I hope I satisfied everyone. Now, the next and last chapter will focus completely on Galeniss. Now, since it is the end, and after everything they've been through, I have one question. Should they go all the way? I would write it completely tastefully, and keep it well within the 'T' rating of this story. I just don't know if you as readers feel they have reached that point yet, and if they should. I'm still trying to figure it out myself. So please, review if you liked this chapter, and please review so I can hear your opinion. You all have made this story what it is, and I am so completely thankful for all of you.

Thanks :)