Hey guys! I just wanted to let you guys know that I will be working on a story for another fandom once this story is finished. I can't say what it is yet, but I hope you guys will still like it once i'm ready to reveal. In any case, enjoy!

Chapter 11 – Breaking Point

Shay stormed out of the house and ran to the coal mines. Whenever something happened to him while in District 12, he would go there to escape into his mind. In this case though, he was losing it.

One of his fellow miners came up to him," Shay what are you doing here?" he asked in surprise.

"I need to get my thoughts together. Maybe I could cover a shift or two while I'm in here as well," Shay told him.

This gruff looking miner was curious," But it's your day off Grier. You've been working too hard these past few weeks, proving that you're more than a thief. And on top of that I hear you've got a little one on the way? Is that true?"

Shay wasn't surprised by the gossip in the mines. On a normal day he would've been joking around about things, but he couldn't after what he just witnessed.

"Y-yeah it's true" he said in a breaking voice.

Growing up in a home where he had so much, he never understood what it meant to be losing out on anything. But once Shay lost it all, he had to keep a sense of hope that everything could get better. He wished he could still have that mindset in this situation.

"You're living in a nice home with wonderful people to help you and Winter. Sure she got violent, but it couldn't be another episode. No! It was just a mood swing like you read. She's fine! She's gotten a lot better now! You're going to have the perfect life for you both and the baby. You've got to hold it together Shay! You're going to be a father! Don't be afraid of… of losing her… No! This is my fault! I got her to stay and it's making her mind get worse!" Shay kept thinking to himself, and each fear growing more and more with each thought.

"Shay?" the miner asked while trying to snap him out of it," What's going on my friend? Is something wrong?"

A hand touched Shay's shoulder," I've got him. Thank you," the hand said. The one attached to that hand was Peeta.

Shay gasped in shock," You're supposed to be at the bakery!" he exclaimed.

Peeta gave him a very concerned look and pulled him up and out of the mines. He spoke no words to him for a very long time, but finally spoke once they reached the bakery," Katniss called me after you ran off. I thought you could use a friend to talk to. And I could certainly use the help on our little project," he explained.

Shay was surprised at how calm he acted and quickly nodded. He was immediately put to work on fixing things up.

"I heard you wanted to leave. Why is that?" Peeta asked him.

"She didn't tell you about what happened?" Shay asked him back as he helped clear a space for them.

"She tried to explain it, but she didn't fully understand what set her off."

Shay reluctantly started to tell him what happened. The upset father to be even explained that he even thought it was more of his fault than anyone else. Little did he know was that letting it all out would soon come to create a bond between them as very close friends.

Peeta listened to every word he said and never interrupted. It wasn't any pity that he felt, but more empathy than anything else. This young man, who entrusted his whole world to him and his wife, was living in fear of losing it over what he had done in his past.

"I don't know what I'm going to do. I've tried for years to stop her episodes from coming, but it seems to have gotten worse now that she's…we're…" Shay dropped everything he was doing and started crying. Winter was his life, and her suffering became his.

Peeta sighed and put his work down as well," I say this as someone who knows exactly what she's going through: keep strong. And taking her somewhere else isn't going to solve anything,"
he told him.

"You don't know that."

Peeta got a bit frustrated and started working at their project again," I do know, all too well. There was a point where I completely lost it, and I thought at that time maybe running away and starting over could be the answer…"

-11 years ago-

Peeta sat by himself in their bedroom and started sketching in frustration. He tried to distract himself from the events that took place, but it became harder and harder to block every thought out.

"She thinks you're still a mutt, that's why she said no. Wait no, she told me herself that she doesn't see me that way. But I don't understand this! How could she do this to me! She took everything I had from me! She's…A…MUTT!" he thought.

Enraged by his own thoughts, he threw away his sketches and started pounding angrily at the wall. Hit by hit, marks started to develop in the wall. Two. Three. Four. Five. No. Mutt. No. Kids. Pain. Anger. Betrayal. He couldn't take it at all.

Katniss came in and saw what he was doing," Peeta stop it!" she screamed and tried to hold him back, but his rage blinded him.

"I can't have anything! I'm a mutt! I'll always be a mutt!" he yelled out of anger.

After a few minutes, Katniss managed to yank him back and pin him down," Stop this, you can't do this to yourself again," she told him.

Peeta looked right up at her, studying her face as he tried to force himself back to reality," We had a fight, real or not real?" he asked.

"Real."

"I said something to hurt you. Real or not real?"

"Well…real. But it isn't your fault."

Peeta reached his breaking point and started crying," I can't do this with you. I'm supposed to keep you happy and safe. I'm doing a terrible job at that."

"Peeta…"

"I'd rather you were with someone that would make you happy."

Katniss's mouth dropped as she pulled him up and hugged him, "No that's not true! Don't ever think that you don't make me happy," she said," my reasons are not because of you. I promise one day I will get better. It will be better and I will be more willing to talk about it then."

Peeta couldn't help but smile a little. He knew that any promise she gave to him she would one day keep," You love me, real or not real?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Katniss blushed a little and pressed her lips against his," Real. Always has, and always will be," she whispered.

-Present-

Shay felt a little bit better once he told the story, but it also made him curious about something," Has she ever talked about it with you since then?" he asked.

Peeta simply shook his head and kept focused on the project," Hope, that's all you can do in that kind of situation. And since that day I've never lost that hope."

The two worked together and finished up the project. By the time they were done, it was already eleven," Hope. Always hope," Shay muttered. He smiled at the small cake the two made together, and knew that he could never run away again. This became their home, and he could never try to part from it.

-Mellark residence, later that evening-

Peeta, after a full day of baking and drama, slumped down in bed. It didn't take long for Katniss to pull him close and smile at him," How did it go?" she asked him.

"It went well. I managed to calm Shay down and get him to stay," Peeta explained," how's Winter?"

"Still across the street. The doctors said we have to keep her on strict bed rest and have restrict her talks about the past with Gale," she explained.

Peeta sighed,"You were right. As usual," he muttered.

" Peeta?" Katniss cuddled into his shoulder and sighed," I'm sorry."

"About?"

"My promise. I haven't been keeping it for years, and I now…well… it's really hard to not say, but I…"

Before she could say anything else, Peeta was already fast asleep. She smiled and kissed him before whispering one secret confession, even though she knew he couldn't hear her," I reached my breaking point, and I can't hide it from you any longer…"

She reached under her pillow and brought out a small stick. Even though it was too dark to see, she already saw what it said earlier," I finally kept my promise."