I'm sorry. I really am guys. But I'm back now! Forgive me? This chapter is short, but ti has a lot of stuff in it.,... Dedicated to Holly and Courtney. I love you guys! You're truly amazing.

Don't own anything from Suzanne Collins's world.

The next week, Katniss was out of sorts. She was moody, at times yelling for the slightest things wrong and other times locking herself in her room…where you could hear the sobs coming out at the latest hours of night.

Darius and Gale knew something Cato didn't. He could tell. He heard them whispering,

"It's worse than last year," Gale bit his lip. "when will she ever understand when it's not her fault?"

"You know she stubborn, too stubborn. She won't listen to anything else than her own opinions." Darius whispered back. "I just don't know what to do."

Gale shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "I guess we just wait it out…what else can we do?"

Katniss stepped out of the shower. She had dark bags under her eyes. "Hey guys," she smiled tiredly. "What's up?"

"Listen, we need to talk," Gale told her authoritatively. "No, you're not getting out of this one. For the freaking last time, it's NOT your fault, Catnip."

Katniss glared at him. Gale glared back. Darius groaned, "Guys, please don't get into one of your 'epic' fights…Now is NOT the time!"

She barely spared Darius a glance, and replied calmly to Gale's commands, "Like hell I will. And stop telling me it's not." Suddenly, her feisty look evaporated. "Cause it is."

Gale grabbed her hands as she tried to leave the room, "It's not! If you say otherwise, I bloody swear-"

"Don't say it's not! We both bloody know it is!"

"What is?" Cato asked, unable to hold himself. "Quit it, Gale! Stop making her so upset. It's not helping!"

Katniss immediately launched herself into Cato's arms. "It's my fault. It really is," she sobbed. Then almost as soon as those words left her mouth she wrenched herself out of his grasp, "No." she whispered her face pale as death. Wait. No, Cato did not just think that. Katniss was not going to die soon at all. At least…not for another five months! No, Cato remembered with dread…there was only four months.

"No," Katniss repeated her voice turning stronger. "I'm sorry." she looked into Cato's eyes. "I don't deserve you. Not for a thousand lifetimes." She turned and ran away into her room, once again…locking herself from the world.

She didn't come out for the whole weekend. But, Cato saw Darius and Gale preparing. For what, he didn't know. But something was happening on Monday…That he knew.

On Monday, Katniss didn't show up. Darius and Gale didn't either. As soon as the lunch bell rang, Cato leaped into his truck and drove to Gale's house, where Katniss was currently residing. Darius, Gale, Finnick and Thom was there.

He saw Finnick rest his forehead against the door, Thom was slumped against the wall, and Darius and Gale were still standing.

"Kat?" Finnick asked towards the door. "Please, I don't know much about this, I don't know the whole story, but please! Come out! It's horrible without you!"

They heard sobs, and a voice shouted, "Go away! Just leave me alone! Can't you see? It's all my fault! I could've prevented it!"

Her voice turned dead, emotionless. It scared Cato. "Do you know what happened two years ago today, January 26?" She laughed bitterly.

"I bet you do. Well, let me tell you." she said sarcastically. "Prim…Prim was alive. She was. But, you know what? She had freaking bloody cancer! It was acute leukemia. She tried to hide it. I didn't find out until it was too late. I could've.

"I could've saved her," Katniss's voice filled with self hatred, towards herself. "But I didn't. I was too late. I didn't notice. I didn't take care of her like I was supposed too." A crack resounded across the room. Katniss had kicked something.

"Catnip, don't do this to yourself," Gale's voice was filled with pain.

"Shut up." Katniss breathed. "And let me finish the bloody story, at least!

"Prim didn't last a week before she was gone. A WEEK! And then, guess what happens? JUST GUESS! I got the same sickness. I got the same sickness that killed my father. That killed my sister. That killed the only people who loved me." Katniss's voice cracked.

A dead silence filled the hall. Then a phone started ringing. As everyone was checking their phone's, they came to the realization that it came from the other side of the door. It was Katniss's.

Cato heard a resolute sigh from the other side of the door. He put his hand to it. "Katniss," he whispered. "Why won't you let me in?"

He heard her open the phone. "Yes Thresh? Did you want to talk to the whole group?" she asked tiredly.

"Ok," she answered after a period of silence. "I'll put you on speaker phone."

Thresh's voice filled her room, with a tone of urgency, "It's Rue!"

"What about Rue?" Katniss's voice filled with anxiety, replacing the tiredness. Katniss had found a instant liking to Rue, and was always watching out for here. "What's wrong Thresh?"

"Rue-She-She's in the hospital!" Thresh bursted out. "She needs blood, but no one here has the blood she needs!"

Katniss's voice suddenly became weary, "Oh no. This is NOT going to be like last time, I'm not going to get involved…" Then suddenly her voice zeroed in on Thresh again, "Why did you call?"

"What blood do you guys have, maybe you can save her! We need blood A." Thresh asked urgently.

"I have blood B," Cato volunteered.

"Me too," Finnick told them.

"Dammit," Darius frowned. "I don't have A."

Gale suddenly shot straight up like an arrow, "Catnip, it's all up to you. God, Catnip, I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what? It's not your fault you're not blood type B, and I'm type O." Katniss sighed, sounding defeated, as Thresh gasped.

"Katniss! You have it! You can save Rue! Thank you! You are a life saver! Oh this is great! I'll see you here in fifteen, right?"

"Right," Katniss echoed wearily. She sighed, "I'll be there Thresh." they heard her end the call. Katniss whispered, "I guess I am going to get involved." Suddenly, the door flew open, onto the surprised faces of the five boys there.

"I've got to go," Katniss told them wearily as she rushed to her car.

After having driven over 80 miles per hour, Cato beat Katniss to the hospital, with the other four boys in tow. Katniss arrived there ten minutes later and ran into the hospital at full speed.

"Hey Thresh," she greeted. "How's it going? Is Rue ok?"

"Jeez, Katniss you look…bad," Thresh cringed. "You can go into the doctor's office and they'll take your blood."

"How much?" Katniss asked hesitantly.

"Three pints."

Katniss cringed. "Ok. Where do I go?"

Before Thresh could answer, Thom jumped in, "Katniss no! You can't do this! Don't you remember what the doctor said? Donating that much blood could make your time…considerably less!"

Although Katniss's face held no emotions, her tone was warning, "Shut up, Thom. This is Rue we're talking about."

"But Katniss-"

"Just stop!" Katniss took a deep breath and strode into the office. Cato slumped down onto the floor and held his head in his hands. Waiting.

After 10 minutes, Katniss came out, deathly pale. She slumped down in Cato's arms. He pressed his lips to the top of her head. She was asleep.

The doctor came out, "She's going to be very weak for a while. You," he nodded towards Cato. "take good care of her. She's a real good person. She deserves more than this. Three moths." Cato gave a sharp nod.

"And Rue?" Thresh asked hesitantly, eager to know.

"We can't say yet, the blood is being transferred now, so all we have now is to wait."

"Thanks, doc." Gale said lowly. "We appreciate it." The doctor left the now silent room.

"Prim," Katniss whispered in her sleep. "I'm sorry."

"Dang," Finnick had tears in his eyes as he laughed softly. "that girl is still stubborn in her sleep."

"That's Katniss." was the only explanation Darius could offer.

The doctor came back 20 minutes later. "The girl will be fine. She'll recuperate well."

Katniss, who was now awake, smiled, "I'm glad I could save at least one life."

"Thank you," Thresh breathed. "You're a hero."

Her face suddenly darkened, "No. This doesn't even compensate for the tip of the iceberg."

"Catnip, would you stop it already!" Gale growled.

"Leave me be!" Katniss cried. "I wish you would just stop!" She ran outside of the hospital.

"Oh jeez," Gale rubbed his face. "I've only made it worse, haven't I?"

"I'll talk to her," Cato volunteered. He jogged outside, and found Katniss standing in the middle of the meadow, with her back facing away from him. .

Cato's arms encircled her waist. "Hey, calm down. It's ok. I bet that she doesn't hold it against you. I'm sure she still loves you, no matter what."

"She wouldn't." Katniss agreed, with tears down her cheeks. "She was like an angel. But that's why I have to hold it against me. Cause she wouldn't. She wouldn't harm a fly."

"And that's going to help? Katniss, you've got to let go." Cato sighed.

Katniss was silent for a moment. "Let's make a deal. I'll let go of this if you promise that you'll…you'll let go of me when I'm gone. I guess you don't have to find someone else, but don't swear off love and join a convent or something."

Cato looked down at her. "I'm pretty sure only girls can join convents."

Katniss slapped his arm, "Oh shut up! You know what I mean! Promise?"

"First you wants me to shut up, then you wants me to promise something to you?"

"Ca-a-a-a-a-at-t-o-o-o!" Katniss whined.

"Ok. I promise." Cato sighed. "I love you, you know that?"

"Yeah. Katniss smiled. "I love you too."

"Do you promise to let go of Prim?"

"I…I promise."

"You ok?"

"Ok."

"I want to visit her." she contemplated after an hour of just enjoying each other's company in silence.

"Ok."

"Like now."

Cato got up and stretched. "Mmm…Ok." He leaned down and kissed her. She put her arms around his neck and he lifted her up.

"You're as radiant as the sun."

"Five points to you."

Cato laughed, "Now I'm getting judged by points?"

"You better believe it, Bucko." Katniss smiled.