I can't thank everyone enough for their kind words and enthusiam! It definitely keeps me writing. Enjoy your read!

Just a reminder, this story is Rated M(ature) for adult content, and anything that seems familiar is not mine but belongs to Suzanne Collins. Thank you!


Run Katniss.

My legs are on fire, every muscle begging for me to quit, my breath ragged, beads of sweat as big as quarters falling from my body, yet I kept going. I can hear the footsteps gaining on me, getting closer, from every side. There's no way out.

I turn to the trees, heading for the sturdiest one to climb when its branches entangle me, holding me captive in its moss like clutches. I try to scream, but deadly tracker jackers fly out my mouth instead. My body twists and contorts in an effort to break free but the more I fight the tighter the grip becomes. My lungs are on fire, blood is spewing the cloudless sky, pouring over my body like rain.

Run Katniss.

Katniss.

"Katniss!"

I flew up into a sitting position, knocking Prim clear of the bed with a thud, my breath coming out in quick pants and tears falling down my face as I choke on thin air. My body was trembling uncontrollably and it took a few minutes to realize my bed, as well as my body, was drenched in sweat that made my t-shirt cling to my skin uncomfortably. I tore it off, leaving only a tank top covering my body and fell back on the bed, my hands rubbing over my eyes.

Prim was rubbing my soaking head, promising me the dream was over and everything was ok. She reached out for my hand, tolerating the pain when I squeezed it so tight her fingers turned purple, and then white. I let go, clutching my hand to my heart, the other tugging at the covers in a death grip.

"You're ok Katniss, its over, I promise."

"Why are you in here Prim?" I demand from her, mad and embarrassed that she had caught me in the midst's of one of my nighttime spells. She didn't need to see that.

"I heard you…It scared me, I had to make sure you were ok."

I sighed. "I was that loud?"

She nodded. "It must have been a bad one."

I didn't respond, but pushed the covers to the end of my bed, jumping out and mumbling about needing to take a shower.

"Take your time," Prim urged. "I'll let mother know you're alright and awake."

I stared at my reflection in the mirror for a long time, then opened my mouth, half expecting the venomous bugs to fly out and end my misery then and there. They didn't. I exhale and let my shoulders slump. My knees were still wobbly and my hands still shaky, I decided a bath was a better solution than a shower. I locked the door before lowering myself into the hot bathtub.

It had been three weeks since Peeta and I arrived home. Since I had seen Gale. The excitement of our homecoming had come and gone, and everyone was continuing on with their daily activities of normalcy.

How nice it must be for them, the Hunger Games a distant memory by now. They had moved on, just as I had for the years before. Now, it was my turn to experience the Victor side of things, and the nightmares seemed endless, as bad as living in the arena had been, if not worse. Being a Victor was not nearly what it was cracked up to be. I almost would rather have died, at least it would be over by now.

The door rattled with a knock, making me jump harshly, water pouring from the sides of the tub and onto the tiled floors.

"Katniss, the door is for you, are you almost done?" Prim asked with worry. She was probably thinking I had drowned myself. She jiggled the door handle, and panicked slightly when she realized it was locked. "Katniss?"

"I'll be out in a minute Prim."

Silence followed the soft patter of her feet on the ground. I took my time expelling myself from the large porcelain tub and brushing my teeth before putting a simple outfit on and braiding my damp hair. Not many people stopped by to visit me, so my guess was it was either Haymitch or Peeta, either of them could wait.

When I had stalled as long as I could, I made my way down the long hall and twisted staircase to find my analysis had been correct, and Haymitch waited for me in a way similar to how a cat awaits a mouse exiting its hole.

"Haymitch;" I greet with uncertainty, looking around for Prim or mother to pose as witnesses if need be. He smiled at me in a likewise manner before nodding his head. "Hello Sweetheart…"

"Can I help you with something?" I asked skeptically, my palms turning clammy awaiting his next words.

He laughed humorlessly, giving my arm a rough pat before walking further into the house. "On the contrary, its me who is here to help you with something. You do remember you're going to need a talent for when the camera and press come back around before the Victory Tour?"

I had forgotten all about it. Honestly, with everything coursing through my veins a silly capitol talent show was the last thing on my brain.

"Can't I just shoot some arrows?"

Haymitch stared at me with disgust as he picked something out of his teeth, flinging it from his finger. " 'Can't I just shoot some arrows?'" he mimicked me, his voice several octaves higher than mine actually was. "What are you; a one trick pony? The capitols seen what you can do in the ring, they need to see a softer side to you something more….girly."

"…Girly…" I pause suppressing the urge to scream. They send me into an arena to brutally murder twenty two innocent tributes and now they want to see me be girly.

Haymitch laughed, a noise so loud it made me jump, before wiping away a fake tear. "Yeah, that's exactly what I said." he waited, shrugging when he realized his joke had gone unappreciated. "I don't know, what are you good at?"

"Hunt-"

"-Besides hunting."

When I struggle to come up with anything in the thirty seconds he allows, he breathes heavily as if he's the annoyed one, ready to give up on me already and takes a seat.

"Come on, you can't think of a single thing?"

"Where's Peeta?" I ask him, crossing my arms. "How come you didn't show up at his house attacking him for a talent?"

"Because I didn't have to."

"What's his talent?" I asked, and Haymitch shot me a look suggesting I had lost several hundred brain cells in the arena. "Isn't it obvious? He's a phenomenal baker, and artist. His only trouble is picking one from his many. Anything else to say smart ass?"

We sit in the living room, going over possible things about me that could maybe pass as a talent if the capitol was willing to expand their minds. Eventually, Prim joins in, sitting on a small stool eating one of Peeta's damn cookies. She suggests I sing after about a half an hour of deep contemplation.

"You have a beautiful voice Katniss," she says wistfully.

Haymitch raises his eyebrows, as if inwardly hoping this was the single solitary thing I was good at besides killing and we could end the painful charade.

I shake my head regretfully.

"Why the hell not?" Haymitch snapped, smacking his hand on the wood of the chair.

"I'm not going to sing in front of all of Panem! It's not happening. I'm decent…not amazing. And not nearly good enough to be singing publicly." I defend my case. Haymitch looks skeptical; and then remembers a loud when I had sang to Rue as she died.

"It was mediocre at best…" he mused, rubbing his chin before shooting me a wink.

The air tensed as we all fell quiet once again, the wheels in our mind jammed tight. There wasn't one thing out there that I could say I was good at. I would be the first Victor to be so impossibly lame that maybe they'd allow for that to be my talent.

"Haymitch I have nothing!" I sigh, exasperated. "Its like you said, I'm as charming as a slug."

He chuckled, raising himself from the seat and cracking his back loudly. He patted my shoulder, walking towards the door, worn out after hours of nothingness.

"We'll figure something out. Expect a call." he says in parting.

When the door shut, Prim shot me a sympathetic smile before assuring me there was something I was amazing at and not embarrassed to do.

"We'll find it."

Highly doubtful. Even Haymitch can't bare to face me in person again to go over this. Expect a call…he lives across the street and he has to call. I'm pathetic.


Prim had taken Peeta up on his word and had since been helping out at his family's bakery a few afternoons a week under his apprenticeship. This left mother and I on our own a few hours everyday.

Usually, she kept herself busy outside with the large garden that surrounded the house, or went into town for a while. Now that things were looking better for our family, she had snapped out of her trance, seeming to be like our old mother.

Prim was over the moon with how things had turned out, that for the first time in almost all her years of remembering, our family seemed alright. It would take some more convincing for me. I didn't trust easily, and when that trust was wavered I rarely made the mistake of trusting the person again.

Today, she complains of a head ache, and she lays in the living room with the windows open and her shut eyes. I brought a damp cloth to her head and she thanked me gently. As I turned to leave, she called after me, and I wondered if I had forgotten something.

"Do you need something else?" I asked her and she shook her head, patting the spot next to her. "No. Come and sit."

I wasn't in the mood for being inside, and had kind of made plans with myself to head into town, down by the Hob. I sat down cautiously beside her and waited for her to speak first, since it was obvious she had something on her mind.

She opened her mouth to speak, but then shut it tighter, questioning her words before they've exited into the still air.

"I guess I just wanted to know how you were doing." she says quietly.

The chance for sarcasm rose in my throat, this would be as good a time as ever to throw the nightmares, the vomiting, the shaking and constant paranoia in her face and ask her if she really wanted to know in detail how messed up her daughter really was…but I bit my tongue.

"Better;" I say simply, because its not a lie. Compared to six weeks ago, when I was just on my way capitol, I was twenty times better. Compared to three weeks ago…not much had changed. "Not good, but better."

"You know, if you ever feel scared or just need someone to talk to, you can wake me up, or anything." she says carefully.

"Alright." I have no plans of following through on my words however. She wasn't there to protect me from reality, how could I expect comfort of her from figments of my imagination?

She nods. "How's Peeta doing?" she's making small talk.

I shrug. Its harder for him, when I emerge from nightmares, its usually accompanied by hugs and kisses, soft strokes of loving hands and delicate words to soothe me until I fully wake. When Peeta wakes…he's alone, paralyzed with fear and there's no one to make it better.

"He's hanging in there. Its just harder…his family stays at their house in town, near the bakery." it seemed absurd, but then again, his family had always seemed…dysfunctional.

"All the time?" mother asks, applaud.

I nodded. "They work at the bakery all day. To my knowledge they don't come over for dinner, but sometimes Peeta goes there to eat, with them."

She purses her lips. "If he ever needs a place to stay, you know, until the nightmares die down or so, he's welcome to spend a few nights in one of the spare bedrooms here, just so he doesn't wake up disoriented and…alone."

"That would mean a lot to him, but he's probably better off dealing with them on his own." if he's anything like me, he wouldn't want several people hovering over him promising him its alright…because even though the nightmare is over, the sickest part of it all, the games, were not over. They would never be.

"Well, let him know he has an option."

"Was that all?" I ask, my legs itching to get moving, keeping busy physically kept me busy mentally too, it was never good to be sitting around because when I was bored, my mind wandered but never to good things, not anymore.

"Katniss;" mother called, it was then I realized I had already stood up towards the door.

"Yes?"

"You know…you know I love you dearly, right?"

Her words come as a shock to me, because of course I know this is true, but we don't talk about it much.

"I love you too." the words sound rehearsed and mechanical coming from my lips.

"I want things to be better Katniss, but I cant do it alone. I need you to let me in. Let me help you."

Now she wants to help? When everything is finally under control, when our bellies are full and we have a sure place to sleep and keep clean every day and night she wants to help? I've done all the work. There's nothing left to help with.

This time, I cant bite my tongue or swallow my words. They come up as vomit rising in my throat.

"What's left to help out with?"

I don't wait for an answer, but head for the door, angry. With myself for turning something that could have been nice into what it now was, for leaving her. Her of course for leaving me years before now, and Prim. Mostly Prim. I could support myself, but Prim needed her mother.

I was angry at the capitol and their stupid demand for coal. I was mad they killed my father. How different things would have been with him around….

I force the thoughts away, heading towards Greasy Sae's, expecting the place would be more empty than normal, the miners still at work for the day. As I walked by, I had been correct and found the place empty besides Cray and Darius, who sat socializing over bowls of soup.

"When ya going hunting again for me girl?" Greasy Sae asks, slopping some kind of left over chunky beef stew into a bowl for me. "I'm runnin' out of supplies."

I thought about how long it had been since I had seen Gale. How I never went hunting without him, though, I didn't see myself strolling up to his house to ask him either. The next time we see each other, we were going to need to have a conversation and I would guess it will turn out to be a long one.

"Sorry," is all I say, twirling the contents in the bowel with a wooden spoon. "It has been a while." it should worry me to talk so freely about my illegal hunting in front of two Peacekeepers, but it doesn't. here in District 12, the system is corrupt. Cray sleeps with desperate women in need of money, Darius turns the other cheek. When it comes down to it, no one really cares if two seam kids want to sneak out of the boundaries to gather some food, as long as its shared with everyone else.

"That's alright," she says, wiping up the counter top with a dirty rag. "I'd imagine its hard to set time aside anymore, with Gale in the mines all day long…"

My ears perked up and my eyes grew wide as her words sunk in heavily. "What did you just say?"

She turned to look at me with confusion. "What?"

"Gale is in the mines?" I breathed, my heart rate picking up significantly.

"I would have thought he'd have told you," Cray said softly.

I turned on my heels, leaving half a bowel of stew untouched. My mind was racing as my fathers death, Gales fathers death, keep replaying in my mind, paralyzing me in my movements and making my breath come out in sobs.

Someone had some explaining to do.

When I reached Gales house I waited patiently after knocking the door, until Hazelle opened it slowly, cautiously. Her lips turned up into a smile, a greeting forming on her lips but before I could allow her to continue, I cut her off with my blurting words.

"How could you let him do such a thing?" I demanded, my hands pulling at the lose ends of my hair. "Why would he need to work in the mines?"

Hazelle stared at me with tired eyes, her fingers pruned from the laundry work she did day after day, and a tired Posy in her arms. "Katniss, he offered. We need the money."

My eyes turned wild. "If you needed money, all you had to do is ask! I'll give you guys anything you need, please, let me help. Get him out of the mines!"

Her expression softened as she ran her hand over my cheek, stroking the flesh softly. "You're darling, but you know we can't accept your money."

"If this is about pride-" I cut myself, unwilling to finish the sentence that would surely turn vulgar.

"Katniss, Gale will not accept a single penny from you, and you know that is true. He believes in earning, in working hard for what you want. He will not take the easy way out in begging."

"Its not begging when someone is offering," I mumbled, feeling as if I were the one begging for them to take the money. She smiled again with a sigh.

"Gale gets home around six thirty, I'm sure he'd love if you stopped by."

I told her I might, but as I left for the village again, I was positive we both knew I wouldn't be back tonight and Gale would most likely never know I was there to begin with.


By the time I got back to the house, mother had gone to lay down, probably for the best, and Prim had returned from the bakery. She cuddled up with me on the couch and allowed me to run my fingers through her soft hair as she told me about her day excitedly, hugging me in her little arms.

"I'm glad you had fun today, little duck."

"What did you do?"

"Nothing interesting enough to share." I sigh regretfully and pat her head before standing up. "Did Peeta come home when you did?"

She nodded. "I'm going to go over to his house for a few, I'll be home soon." I tell her and again, she nods, then adding, "I like Peeta, a lot."

"I think you've grown on him as well," I tease before heading out the door and across the street. I still hadn't heard from Haymitch about my talent and had assumed he was giving up on me, leaving me to my own devices to think up some dream talent on my own.

Before I can even knock on the door, Peeta is there with a tired expression. It was obvious in his face he had gone much too long without sleep.

"Hi, Katniss." he breathed, as if relieved to see me. "Would you like to come in?"

I stepped into his neatly arranged house, the only other voices sounding through it coming from the television. It was one big lonely space, and Peeta came home to it every night.

The home smelled of dinner and fresh bread, along with Peeta's normal scent of mixed pine and lavender.

"Thank you, for letting Prim help out at the bakery." I say quietly and he smiles, something so warm and inviting I'm not regretting my decision of coming over.

"Of course. Prim is such a nice girl, so sweet but independent…like her sister."

I turn up at his words and shake my head. "Oh no, Prim isn't much like me, only slightly. She received all the best family traits." I chuckle. "A healers touch, soft and gentle from my mother, a melodic voice from my father, her independent spirit from me. Prim can make even Haymitch smile genuinely when she tries."

Peeta gently runs his hand through the stray hairs covering my face, tucking them behind my ears. "You, Katniss Everdeen are beautiful, inside and out. Don't try and deny it either, its not very hard to see."

"So are you Peeta. I don't know how you do it, but just your presence seems to calm me."

He grins at this, and we fall silent as he pulls out a bread, cutting it into slices and placing it between us to pick on. It was olive bread, that melted into your mouth, its salty but delicious taste and fluffy texture had me leaning in for several more pieces.

"Eat up," he encourages. "I have more food here than I can eat. But I love baking, so to keep myself busy, its usually what I do…then, I don't know what to do with it afterwards."

"Is that what you chose for your talent? Your baking?" I asked, my lack of talent still lingering in the back of my mind. I remembered Haymitch's words; about how Peeta's only problem was picking one of his many.

Peeta only laughed before shaking his head. "No. Would you like to see the talent I'm really using?"

He led me up to a spare bedroom in the house and opened the door, pushing gently on my back to show me in. when he turned on a light, I gasped, because before me were dozens of paintings, easels and brushes. I knew Peeta was good at painting, I had watched him make that spectacular flower on my cookie, but I never expected he was this brilliant.

I let my fingers glide across a painting of an open kelly green field, the painted sunset dancing in the back round and a single tree, housing a girl who sleeps it in soundly.

He appears over my shoulder smiling, "You inspired that one."

Several more held nice pictures that would make your insides turn to mush, and then, as if breaking through a wall, drastically they changed to a time in my life I had shortly forgotten. The games.

Pictures of horrific blood filled battles engorged the pages. Stars twinkling above the sky as it lit up with pictures of dead tributes. The mutant dog creatures that attacked us and Cato, ending his life, and one large one of the Cornucopia set on flames and spewing blood.

"What do you think?" he asks in a mumble.

"I hate them."

"Me too."

"They're too brilliant. Too…lifelike. Its as if they're watching me," I run my hand over the picture of Glimmers bloated dead body, her eyes still open and seemingly staring into my own.

"I relive these moments the most. So vividly, I can paint them from memory." he shutters. "I prefer the lighter of things, but sometimes painting the flowers in a war zone doesn't do much good."

"Peeta, how are you doing? You haven't slept in days…" I mumble, running a hand over his shoulder.

"Its alright Katniss, I'm doing fine, really. You have enough on your plate to worry about now without me adding to it." he says solemnly.

I scoff. "Peeta that's ridiculous. You're not doing fine. Where is your family?" I knew the answer, but I wanted it confirmed. "Why aren't they up here with you?"

"They'd prefer to stay in town, closer to the shop."

"Its not good for you, being alone like this. You'll turn out like Haymitch soon enough." I hadn't meant it as a joke, but it had somehow cut through the thick tension of our conversation and forced laughter from our lungs.

"My mother, she told me if you'd like, you're welcome to stay with us for a few days, to catch up on your sleep and all…"

His eyes lit up, gratitude heavy in the expression before they softened. "It's alright," he spoke. "I don't want to impose."

"An invitation is not imposing," I object. "At least for the night Peeta."

He watches my pleading expression for a few more moments before smiling with a nod. "Thank you then."


Prim was over the moon ecstatic when she learned Peeta would be with us for the next few days, and rushed to give him a hug. I hadn't seen her take this well to anyone besides Gale, then again, besides Peeta, Gale was my only other good friend.

"Do you want to play a game?" she asks of him with a grin. I watch his tired expression and interject smoothly. "Prim, its nearly time for you to head to bed, or you'll never wake in the morning for school."

Her shoulders slumped slightly, but it wasn't in Prim's nature to fight about small things, nor hold a grudge, so before I could even feel guilty about shooting down her plans of a game she's hugging the both of us, placing soft kisses on our cheeks before heading up to brush her teeth and get to bed.

"You look about ready for bed yourself," I say softly, and he smiles with an apologetic nod. "I hope I don't seem rude."

"Nonsense, sleeping was the whole reason of your stay."

We headed up the stairs and I showed him the guest bedroom, making sure he had all he needed before leaving him on his own and heading to my own. Oddly enough, it was easier to give into sleep knowing Peeta was just a room over.

My nightmare started off simple this time, just as the other had. I was running, the wind whispering for me to pick up the pace. My breath was ragged and coming out in short whimpers, my vision blurred from sweat and tears combined. I pushed the thoughts away fast, and continued pushing my exhausted body. I ran for the same tree in hopes of safety from whatever was following me, but it only entangled me in its clutches again. I fought for freedom, becoming more entangled until the footprints stopped in front of me.

It was the girl from the capitol, my red headed avox who stopped in front of me with pleading eyes.

She opened her mouth to scream, and I watched as her tongue reappeared in her mouth, her screams slowly building until the final one came out in a blood curdling death cry.

She ran to me, helping to detangle the mossy greens from my limbs, begging and pleading with me to save her.

"You've got to help me," she begs. "Snow, he's after me, he's going to get me!"

"Come with me!" I shout, but we seem to be running in slow motion, unable to match the pace of the hovercraft sailing behind us. It picks us both up with its force field and for a moment, we're dangling in the air, screaming loudly for help though there was no one there to hear. President Snow greeted us upon entering the craft, he held a gun up to the avox's head and shot, killing her before my eyes, then with a sadistic smirk, held me down to pry my mouth open. He held a blade to my tongue and chuckled before slashing out my tongue.

I shot out of bed, gasping for air and shaking so hard it was no wonder I had fallen to the floor. I tried to talk, to scream, but nothing came out. I grasped my throat and stuck out my tongue, feeling for its tickling edge. It was fully intact, the dream had been just that.

Then I screamed.

Peeta, Prim and mother all came barreling through, but I only wanted the comfort of Peeta and ran into his arms immediately. He held me of course, but whispered nothing because he knew as well as I did no words helped a fear shaking nightmare. His soothing hands ran over my back and his forehead pressed to the top of my hair. Sometime in between the climax of my breakdown and when Peeta had finally settled me back into bed, Prim and mother had disappeared. When Peeta turned to head back to his room, I pulled on his arm with such force he nearly fell back on the bed.

His expression met my own. "Please, stay with me."

He smiled then. "Always."

I scooted in and pulled back the covers, making room for his body and my own. This was the second time we had slept together since returning from the games, and immediately, I felt my nausea and fear die down replaced with relief. His arm wrapped around my waist, bringing me in closer to him and he kissed my temple softly before whispering an apology.

I know I've confused him into not knowing what was alright and what wasn't. we were nearly making out in the arena, then I tell him I don't love him, we go to being friends, then I'm kissing him and inviting him to bed with me.

However, Peeta is my silver lining, the dandelion in the beginnings of spring promising everything will be ok. I'm not thinking clearly, and giving into my direct impulses. I give into what I need at this moment, and what I need is Peeta.

I turn my body to face his own and grab his face, pulling it into mine, daring to feel the intense passion I had felt in that one kiss in the arena. My skin turned to hot coals and my heart had dropped to the pit of my stomach as his hands moved over my torso gently matching my kisses but not daring to speed up the pace. He pushed up into a sitting position and sat me on his lap, bringing me closer to him without breaking the gentle kisses, pulling away only to breathe in which I responded by placing feather soft kisses along his jaw bone and cheeks.

When I lowered my head to his Adams apple, giving it a soft lick of my lips, he let out a soft, but precious, low moan, his body going rigid. He glided me off of him gently before laying me back down, our breathing uneven.

"I'm sorry," he panted. "I took things too far."

"It takes two to tango," I mumble back, to which he snickers, as I rub his chest gently with my hand.

He shivers before placing his larger hand on top of mine and bringing it to his lips to caress softly.

"Sleep now Katniss, dream of beautiful things."

For the first time in three weeks; I did.


At the break of daylight, there was a steady thud on the door before it flew open and Prim walked in, stopping in her tracks with confusion at seeing me and Peeta in a not so innocent position.

We both jump to a sitting position in the bed and she shakes her head handing me the phone. "Its for you."

Haymitch.

"Who is it?"

She shrugs, looking us over once more before walking out and shutting the door behind her. I picked up the phone, confused. The only people who would ever call being Haymitch or Peeta.

"Hello?"

"If it isn't the girl on fire herself."

Cinna.


I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Just a heads up; I most likely won't be able to update until the weekend because I have family in visiting from out of town and will be with them for the rest of the week. I'll attempt an update on Friday but if I'm being truthful, it'll most likely be Saturday or Sunday night. Thanks for reading, and have a great rest of the week!

~SoYouThinkYouCanWrite