Disclaimer: It's going to get a little dark this chapter, but just hold on, no one is going to die. Fanfiction is supposed to be a little happier than that, right? This chapter holds the viewpoints of the unknown character and Katniss, though two new characters are coming in the next few chapters: I'll give you a hint- many consider one of them to be a fresh breath of Odair. ;) It's Finnick get crazy up in here.

Sorry, I'll stop with the puns. Honestly though, it probably couldn't Annie worse. Dang it. I did it again.

Hope you all enjoy the plot twists, because they are just as nerve wracking to me as I'm sure they are to you. PLEASE REVIEW. I know you viewers are out there and I'd love to hear YOUR lovely voices. Thanks a million!

DOUBLE DISCLAIMER (ALL CAPS): THIS FANFICTION DOES NOT CONDONE OR APPROVE OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN ANY WAY. INSTEAD, PEETA AND GALE, GOOD GUYS, ARE MEANT TO BE THE FOIL OF THE IDIOT THAT IS THE UNKNOWN CHARACTER. IT'S DISTURBING, BUT THAT IS THE AWFULNESS OF THE CHARACTER BLEEDING THROUGH. IF IT BOTHERS YOU TOO MUCH, ALL ESSENTIAL STORY POINTS ARE GOING TO BE COVERED OUTSIDE THE UNKNOWN PERSPECTIVE.

I'm sorry for the delay and here we go!

Enjoy!

Chapter 13- The Unknown

He walked to the stop sign, taking in a deep breath. Of course, he had a warrant out for his arrest, but they hadn't caught him yet.

He had been so disappointed to find out that Kat was so cruel, that she had turned him in and tried to leave him behind. Of course, he'd thought that she would come to her senses and return to him. She was his after all. It had only been a few weeks since he had found the Everdeens again and he wanted to see if she had listened to him the last time, when he had told her to stay away from the Hawthorne boy.

She should have known that he was serious. He looked back on the last night that they had spent together. He knew that though she had protested, that truly, she loved him. She had been so nice and willing to love him the way that he had wanted, until the boy had come along and convinced his darling otherwise. He had made his darling girl file a restraining order.

He knew, however, that she would never forget the night that they spent together. He knew that he wouldn't. He licked his lips, trying to recall, with accuracy, the way her lips tasted, the feeling that he had had when they had made love. She had screamed, but how could she want anyone but him, when truly, they were meant to be together, to be one for the rest of their lives.

He would win her back, he knew it, as long as he could take the boy out of the picture. He had followed her home from school one day, when she had decided to walk the route, instead of taking the bus. He had smiled. She knew that he would come for her. This was her submission, her admitting her need for him.

He had come only to watch her house. To see, if the boy would come, if he would be alone, if the other girl was still around. They did come, but what he hadn't expected was the blond boy in the blue Impala. This boy he'd never seen before. Rage filled his mind at the concept of his dear Katniss being wooed by mere boys. He would fix that soon.

He'd waited a few days, so he could track them all back to their homes, to tell them that he had arrived. He'd meant to trail the blond boy, but the best that he had been able to do, after losing the boy in traffic, was place the rose on the windshield of his car at the school that morning.

Soon, and very soon, she would be his again.

KATNISS knew that he couldn't have left her alone for forever, but she had been afraid that this news would scare off Peeta or make him disgusted with her. If anything, he only seemed more open about how much he cared about her than anything else.

He made her feel a little at ease, even in the midst of all of the craziness. It's not like she would tell him that, but she couldn't help but want him around. His protective instincts made her feel safe, made her want to put all of this behind her. In the car, she called the police non-emergency number.

Katniss hated talking to the police, if for no other reason than wishing that she could have solved all of this on her own. She was used to being the person who solved problems, not the person who was duped.

She looked at Peeta as he drove them to her house. Madge was in the backseat, with a faraway look on her face. Gale was following behind them in Madge's car, because she had wanted to ride with Katniss.

They seemed worried, but Katniss was focused again, worried for Prim and for her friends, which thankfully meant that she was able to still the swells of panic inside herself.

Peeta's face, stern but composed, was relatively calm as he drove. She wondered what he could be thinking about, if he had meant the things that he had said earlier on, if there was any way that all of this could finally come to an end. He seemed to radiate a protectiveness that she didn't really understand, as it was directed toward her. She had felt strange these last few days, being driven to school by Peeta, knowing that they were more than friends, but not officially dating or whatever they were doing.

Still, in the last few days, Katniss had felt a little less stressed and pleasantly surprised at how good it felt for the first time in a long, being taken care of by someone who really cared. Peeta was always a gentleman, opening her doors and happy to go out of his way to help her with the even the smallest of her problems. But this, well, this was enough to crash even a mature relationship and they had never even been on a date.

She thought back to the days when she had met Richard, how nice he'd been to her, but she could distinguish the little differences between the jerk she'd hoped in and the gentleman sitting beside her. Peeta would go to the moon and back and thank her for letting him help her, where Rick would've never let her live it down. Rick would tell her that she was beautiful, but there was a possessive longing there that never belonged. Peeta never seemed to stop complimenting her, but was ever nonchalant about it, as if it was nothing but the truth. Rick always expected her to drool all over him, where Peeta was genuinely pleased and surprised when she thanked him or praised him in any way. She knew, of course, that his history with his mother did nothing to help him believe the myriad of ways that he was already one of the best men she'd ever known. Peeta, in short, left Richard stranded in Peeta's dust.

They pulled up to the house and she took a deep breath, panic briefly getting the best of her when she saw the white roses on the doorstep, the curtains closed, the house looking small and desolate. She felt a hand on her shoulder, heard Madge say, "We've got you Katniss, don't worry." Peeta smiled at her, getting out to walk around and open her door. She took another deep, calming breath when she heard the door open on her right. She looked to him and got out of the car. She smiled shakily at him, doing her best to be okay for him, for her friends, for Prim. He leaned closer and whispered, "I know you want to be strong for Prim, but she is strong already." He smiled, a proud look in his eyes, "So, know that you can be strong, but that no one expects you to be unaffected by this. We want you to let us in, not shut us out." He leaned back out and spoke louder, "Okay?"

She smirked, knowing that Peeta was fully aware that she couldn't just do that. "I'll try."

He grew serious for a moment and said, "Let's go to Prim and call the police. Okay?" He smiled. "As soon as that is taken care of, I have a few ideas about what we should all do tonight." She loved how, even in this moment, when she could tell that he was concerned, that he was able to be playful and mischievous, planning silly outings and possibly even pranks on her friends.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, just knowing that any moment this was all going to be too much and he would flee the scene, tired of all of this trouble just for her.

He laughed as Madge and Gale just smirked, a confused look in their eyes.

"So, your stalker reemerges, leaves flowers everywhere, and here you are, trying to worry about me?" He laughed again, more softly this time. "You're an amazing woman, Katniss, but it is just downright ridiculous for you to worry about me in all of this. If anything, I'm relishing the opportunity that I now have for Gale and I to take this crappy humanoid out of existence."

Gale smiled grimly, nodding, as if he was ready to go hunting, a fierce look in his eyes. Katniss imagined Gale and Peeta going after Richard, about either one of them getting hurt because of her.

She flinched, then pleaded, "Please no, if either of you were to get hurt... because of me... If I had just been strong enough to-"

Gale, Madge, and Peeta half yelled, "No!" She was a little taken aback.

"Katniss, don't you even dare try to blame yourself for any of this."

She had turned back to look at Madge and Gale, so she hadn't noticed Prim opening the door and Prim's voice seemed to bring her up out of her dazed focus on the situation at hand. She swung on her feet to see Prim walking toward her. Without realizing she was even doing it, Katniss had quickly covered the distance between her and Prim, gripping her in a tight hug, and asking, tears in her eyes, "Prim, are you okay? Did you see him? Did you call Mom?"

She pulled back to look at Prim's face, which looked strangely mature for such a young girl.

"He didn't come near me, but I saw him watching across the street when I opened the door. I immediately shut the door, locked it, and called you. Then I called Mom and then the police and they said to call when you got home, because you know more about it, but I have seen a squad car roaming around the block a few times since I called you."

Katniss felt her eyes narrow, "But are you okay?"

"I am now that you are with me. Our house is not big, but it feels huge when a jerk leaves threatening roses on your doorstep." Prim sighed. "We get to leave now, right?"

Peeta smiled wickedly, turning from Madge and Gale, back to her and Prim. "I have a plan. You up for a party tonight, Primrose Everdeen?"

Prim smiled, looking to Katniss, a question in her eyes. "What kind of party?"

"A surprise PAR-TAY!" Peeta drew out the word and they all laughed, except for Katniss.

"Madge," Peeta said, a devilish grin on his face, "Why don't you inform Prim and Gale and I will keep Katniss from overhearing you." Gale grinned and Prim eagerly rushed past Katniss to Madge, having fun with the game.

When Prim was out of earshot, Peeta told Katniss, "So, we need to update the police, at which point, we are going to have a night of fun and splendor."

"And before you ask, Katniss," Gale said, towering over me, so that I could not lean over to try to overhear the whispers coming from the pile of girly excitement a few feet away, "YES, there is going to be fun AND splendor, no exceptions." She sighed.

Peeta and Gale both laughed, as if there was nothing to be worried about besides a cool party and the paper that they had due that Friday.

She couldn't help but smile at the idea of spending the night with everyone. "Do I still get Chinese food?"

Peeta chuckled. "Yes, my lady, you shall have Chinese food tonight!"

Gale looked back and forth between them, seeming confused.

"Keep her busy, Gale; I need to ask Prim something really quick." Peeta jogged over a few feet and the pile turned into a huddle, Peeta the obvious leader.

"You really like him, don't you, Katniss?" She felt herself blush.

"Yeah, I kind of do."

Gale grinned. "I know, I'm happy for you. You seem to be more relaxed whenever he is around."

Katniss sighed. It was time to call the police.

I'll have another chapter in a few days. Hope you enjoyed the update. :) Let me know what you think.