Katherine

"Hey."

Memories run through my mind.

"What - what are you doing here?"

He must see the anger in my face. His smile drops and his blue eyes lose its glow.

"You are not happy to see me."

"No."

"Oh..."

"How did you find me?" I ask, angry with him. I don't want him here. I don't want to see him. The pain in my chest aches so strongly, I may pass out.

"That is a long story."

The alley is dark. He is covered in shadows, but I notice the changes in him. He is taller than me and his hair has more curls. When I last saw him, he was still a boy on the brick of adulthood. His face is covered with a beard good enough to shave. However, his eyes are so blue, bluer than they were before. So many shades of blue live inside those two irises.

I look away because he has been staring at me for too long. I realise my hands are numb inside the mittens and turn away from him and leave the alley.

"Katherine."

I shiver as he speaks my name.

"Where are you going?" I hear him getting closer.

I ignore him and make it to the square before he blocks my path and makes me look at him. "Where?"

"Why do you care? You didn't care enough to come find me before I left Saldrian."

"What?"

I round him and leave him with his thoughts.

"Why would you say that?" He says, following me.

"Why are you here?" I stop and turn around, angry.

"I come to find you."

"I didn't ask to be found." I snap.

"You enjoy this life?" He asks.

"Of course not." I say, irritated. "But it is the only life I have."

"I can help you." He takes my hands in his, but I cringe away from his touch.

"You think this is a game? That you can show up and say some words and I'll follow you back to Baluster?" I laugh once out loud.

"Do you blame me for something that happened in the past?"

"I don't blame you!" I shout. "You were the one who stopped writing back. No a single response."

"Me?" I hear the angry note in his voice. "I never received your letters. Don't blame me for that."

"Then, who should I blame?" I see myself reflected in his eyes as they burn with anger.

He sighs. "Why are we even arguing about this?"

"I don't know. You tell me!" I say, crossing my arms. "I want to know why you are here."

"We shouldn't talk here." His eyes warn me of something lurking around us.

"I remember when you told you would protect me. Do you remember that?" I don't trust him and so I stand my ground.

"Yes, but-"

"You thought now was the time to finally protect me." I say, hoping he feels ashamed. He broke his biggest promise.

"Katherine..."

"Just leave. I don't want to see you anymore."

I walk quickly back to the house. The ache inside my chest is unbearable. I feel so much anger, so much hate for him right now, but a part of me, a very small part of me, is glad he is here. A safe memory.

"Katherine."

I quicken my steps. I don't want him here. Perhaps, he is an allucination. Yet, I hear his footsteps as he tries to catch me. Just walk. Don't look back.

I'm almost at the house when he grabs my arm and turns me around. His hand is so warm, I have a strong desire to lean against his chest and wait for his arms to engolf me, surrounded by warmth.

"Will you listen to me?" He pleads. "Stop dodging me."

"I don't want to hear what you have to say, anymore."

"Who are you?"

I stop struggling against his grasp. He is clueless.

"You are not the same Katherine... You don't even look like her."

"I haven't been the same person since the moment my life was taken from me."

I set my arm free and knock on the door.

"I'm still here."

"Are you serious?" I look at him, perplexed with his words. "You were never here. I was left alone. Did you think about looking for me the moment I was stripped of my life? Did you care about my safety back then or was it all just a big fat lie?"

"I always cared for you." He says, trying to convey his message. "I only heard about you five months ago! There were some clues and took them and tried to find you! Don't say I lied to you back when we were young."

The door suddenly opens. I glance at Gale, standing at the door looking what the commotion is about. He is surprised with Peter's presence.

"Who is he?"

"No one." I'm quick to answer.

I move pass him into the house. I find my belongings by the fireplace and I'm startled with Gale's closeness.

"Who is he?"

"No one." I repeat, walking to the door, but Gale grabs my arm.

"We need to talk about last night." He says.

"There is nothing to talk about." I try to pry my arm from his hold.

"Katherine?" Peter steps into the house and halts his step when he sees Gale holding me. "Could you let go of her, please?"

"What?" Gale looks at me. "Katherine? Who are-"

"Let go, Gale." I get my arm free. "Thank your mother for the food and the shelter. I appreciate her kindness."

"Who are you?" Gale's eyes are slowly turning from gray to silver.

I ignore him and leave the house, Peter trailing behind. I know he will come looking for me if I stay one day more in this village. He won't give up until he had his questions answered.

"Katherine. Slow. Down." Peter pulls my arm and I lose my balance. I fall against him and there is only two inches separating our faces.

I quickly step away.

"Where are you staying?" I say, feeling embarassed.

"What happened back there? Who was that man?" He didn't protect me when he had the chance. Yet, his eyes shine with protection. He will protect me, now. But I don't believe him...

"Where are you staying?" I insist. I don't have to give him any satisfactions. He will have to earn my trust again if he wants me to tell him some things. We are not children anymore. Friendship is not a rag doll we can throw away and then want back because we are feeling better.

He huffs, grabs my hand and leads the way. The sense of traveling back to the past is strong as our hands hold each other, fitting together almost too perfectly. The small inn is three-stories-high and two windows are glowing with a warm yellow glow. He knocks on the door and a woman opens it. She doesn't comment and leaves immediately after the door is closed. The dinning area is almost deserted, besides the two people by the bright fireplace. There is an old man sit on a bench, a cup of something in his hand.

We climb the stairs and I realise our hands are still entwined. My hand slips from his and he doesn't notice the absence of mine in his. The room he rented is at the end of the hall. A bed large enough for two people is under the window. There is also a small hearth with a low fire and a folding screen in one of the corners of the room.

"Can we talk now?" I stand by the door after I placed my belongings on the floor.

"Perhaps." He says as he warms himself by the fire. "Will you hear me?"

"I'll try..."

"I found you, because - because your stepmother told me of your whereabouts."

My breathing stops and the blood drops from my face. "What?"

"I'm her new assassin."

Tiny wounds open all at once and the life slowly leaves my body. Betrayed. I feel betrayed.

"Are you out of your mind?" I take a step closer, the anger boiling inside me. "You are! Why would you do that?"

He glances at me, his eyes begging me to believe him. "It isn't what you think-"

"Stop!" I warn. "Stop talking!"

"Katherine, I had no choice." He walks to me, but I quickly flinch away like he is a burning coal. "You think I would hurt you?"

"I'm slowly believe you will." I never felt so afraid of him. Why am I afraid of him?

"How... how can you believe that?" He says, not understanding what it is happening.

"You have changed!"

"We both changed." He grabs my hands and he doesn't let me go. "You are too important to me for I to hurt you."

He is looking so deeply into my eyes, I have to blink and look away. "I have to leave."

"What?" He looks frentic. "You are not leaving. It is freezing out there."

"I can't stay here." I pry my hands from his and grab my belongings.

"I'm not letting you go." He presses his hand against the door and blocks my path. "You are not running away again, Katherine."

"If I stay, where will I sleep?"

His hand slides down the door. I swallow and look between his eyes and the hand. He seems to wake up from a dream and opens the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To find another room."

"Wait!" I grab his sleeve. "There is no need. You can sleep here. Just one condition."

He waits, expectantly

"No touching."

His face transforms suddenly and he chuckles at my words. "I can work with that."

I take off my boots and shirt, not daring to undress my pants. My undershirt is a bit see-through, but the blankets will cover me from curious eyes. We lie down, each other on each side of the bed, a big space left between us. My back is to him, but I sense his eyes on me.

"We should sleep." He says, gently.

"What is going to happen from here?"

"I don't know."

Finally, so interection between Katniss and Peeta. You may have noticed I changed their names. I hope you don't confuse yourselves with the change. Favourite, follow and review :)