AN: Sorry for the long delay. I want to thank you all for your reviews and lovely words and for the continued support you have shown this story. I want to thank everyone who is also following. I hope you all continue to enjoy this story...

Sorry for any mistakes, I do re-read put something's always get past me!

Previously...

I found myself smiling, "you care about me?" it was a childish question but I was feeling insecure, a feeling I had never really had before. I needed some kind of reassurance that he was feeling how I was or at least he was as confused as I was.

I could hear the smile in his words when he spoke, "yes, I care about you more than I thought I ever would Katniss."

It was an admission of undying love but that wasn't what I had wanted but I knew then that he cared, he cared like I cared. I could hear it in his voice and if I had been able to see him I'm sure I would have seen it in his eyes.

Neither of us knew really what to feel for the other, that much was clear, we were both confused and trapped in a world where feelings weren't really an option but I had hope, hope that maybe one day we could be free to feel what we liked.

"I care about you too," I whispered before I settled into his side.

With his arms wrapped around me and my head upon his chest I fell asleep feeling more content than I had in what seemed forever.

Possession

Nine

The wind whistled through the trees, I was downwind not that it much mattered; there was no deer to hunt only birds and squirrels. I stepped stealthy through the undergrowth making sure not even a twig snapped beneath me.

I let my arrow fly and the bird fell to the floor, an arrow through its eye.

It was easy to sometimes pretend I was the old Katniss, hunting so my family and I could eat. Of course I didn't need to hunt anymore, or at least not to sustain my family. I hunted because Greasy Sae still needed meat for her stews, I didn't do it for the coin though she often gave me some saying she didn't want anything for free.

Of course I could only pretend to be the old Katniss for so long because when I looked around me while standing in the familiar woods Gale was nowhere to be seen. It saddened me, I missed him and yet if the rumours were true then Gale was not the same person he used to be. Guilt twisted in my stomach at the thought, the rumours were that he took any girl to bed and that he drank in his free time- between working and sleeping with any girl that would have him.

I of course blamed myself. It was because of my pushing him away, albeit unintentional and yet I could not lead him on. It was a fine line, almost invisible.

I didn't know whether to believe the rumours. It was difficult to as the new Gale sounded like a complete ass, a man without morals and that just didn't sound like my Gale at all.

So it shocked me when after hunting I went to Greasy Sae's to sell her the bird I had caught when I saw Gale with Ripper selling him some white liquor. At first I froze, he hadn't seen me and I was in shock. His coins had barely left his hand when he opened bottle and guzzled some down.

It may sound hypocritically considering I drank my fair share but I had been through something that Gale hopefully would never had to. He hadn't taken lives or seen lives being taken, lives of people he cared about... but I had. He had no right, no right at all to throw his life away when I was doing everything I could to make sure he had a life.

I was suddenly jolted from my shock when anger, pure red anger ran through my veins. The bird was forgotten as I stormed over to my once bestfriend, he didn't see me until I grabbed the bottle and yanked it out of his hand. He didn't like that much!

He turned to me, his eyes glazed but angry and the anger only grew when he saw it was me. It seemed is sadness about the situation between himself and I had changed to anger. I didn't know which was worse.

"What are you doing," he said his words sharp and slightly slurred.

I didn't answer straight away; I took a moment to look at him. He looked older than his years, his eyes lifeless and his skin paler than usual. He looked tired, angry and bitter. Scarily he reminded me of Haymitch.

I scowled, "saving you." I simply said before tossing the bottle away, it smashed upon impact with the floor making several people turn their heads to see what was happening.

The audience didn't seem to bother Gale though. He didn't hold back or try and quieten his voice.

"You have no right," he said taking a step forwards. To anyone else it would probably be threatening but I had faced much worse than Gale and deep down, however much Gale was hurting and however much he hated me, I knew he would never hurt me... not physically anyway.

"I have every right," I shot back. "I'm not going to let you waist your life by drinking yourself to death or sleeping with any girl that will have you!"

Gale's lips twisted into a smile that was filled with no love or happiness but anger and cruelty. "Why is it ok for you to drink but no me? Why is ok for you to sleep with pretty boy Finnick and yet I am not allowed to enjoy myself?"

He said it loud enough for people to hear, it was cruel, he knew the rumours would triple and that my name would be associated with the words like slut, alcoholic and wreck. Gale had truly changed and it angered me even more.

I stepped forwards, my posture dangerously still like an animal ready to pounce. My blood was boiling and I could no longer restrain my rage.

"I drink because it keeps the pain away; it sometimes even keeps the nightmares away. I drink because I want to forget, I don't want to remember killing, I don't want to remember the people I lost, people I cared about. I don't want to remember the nightmare I went through," my face was burning, my anger and frustration no doubt making my cheeks burn red as I spoke sharply to my former bestfriend.

I didn't give Gale time to respond and I was past the point of caring who was listening.

"You drink because you feel I wronged you in some way. I'm sorry I hurt you, I never meant to and just because I can't return your feelings doesn't mean you can throw your life away," by the end I was barely whispering.

I was exhausted, mentally.

"You're not the only one who wants to forget. I drink because you hurt me, I feel pain to," he said his tone not as angry as before and yet nowhere as near as soft as it once was.

I found myself barking out a short sharp laugh.

"You know nothing of pain and you have no nightmares to forget," I said my nostrils flaring as I once again tried to control my anger. "Pull yourself together because if this is the life you've chosen then I won't bother trying to save it." Of course it was a lie, I would do anything to make sure Gale lived, even if he wasn't really living.

My eyes widened as I stood stock still, I suddenly realised I had said too much. I cursed myself and glanced at Gale to see his brows furrowed and his face conveying confusion and of course, anger. I had to leave, I had to leave before I said anything else or my anger got out of control.

I had said what I wanted to say. It was Gale's choice now.

"Goodbye Gale," I said before walking away leaving my once bestfriend behind.

I didn't bother wiping away the tears that rolled down my cheeks; I was too exhausted mentally to care. I was a ticking time bomb, a bundle of emotions that had finally come to a head and exploded... I was so controlled all the time but the control had gone and there was only one person I wanted to see; one person who I could take out my sadness, my guilt and my anger on; Finnick.

Possession

Ithought I would fall into his arms and cry, or scream and shout at him when I saw him but instead something completely different happened. I was overwhelmed with a need for comfort, his comfort and to forget. I could have turned to the bottle but seeing Gale with glazed eyes and slurring words had, for the time being, made me despise alcohol.

So instead of falling into his arms I jumped into them and instead of crying I found myself attaching my lips to his in a passionate kiss. He didn't react for a minute obviously shocked but soon his lips were moving against mine. We were in the living room and I didn't even know if anyone else was home but I didn't care.

I needed Finnick.

I lifted myself up wrapping my arms around his muscular neck while my legs wrapped around his hips, the bulge in his trousers brushing against my core. My body was tingling from head to toe, my senses were in overdrive as each brush of his lips against mine drove me ever crazier and every time my sex brushed against him I thought I would scream in agony and pleasure.

He walked us to my room, or well our room. His hands tightened on my behind electing a low moan from me. The door shut behind us and I found my back pressed against it as in unison we began to roll our hips.

Things happened quickly after that. More passionate kisses were exchanged as were low groans of pleasure as our clothing began to make its way to the floor, some torn in the urgency to feel one another.

I was thankful that Finnick didn't ask any questions. He would after of course but I didn't want to think about after... I only wanted to think about Finnick and the way he felt against me.

We fell back onto the bed side by side and I boldly rose to straddle him. I rode him carefully at first, growing more confident as I saw the pleasure written on his face. My breast bounced like the rest of me as I rose and fell, my slick folds welcoming him every time I slide down his length. He stretched and filled me, making my eyes roll back in my head as sighs and gasps of pleasure fell from my lips. His hands gripped my hips tightly as I rode him but he didn't try and take control, he seemed to know that I needed to be in control but after I peaked, he rolled me onto my stomach, pulled me to my knees and entered me from behind.

Some unknown instinct guided my hand between my legs, seeking the spot that ached for him and that ached to be touched; his hand followed mine and quickly took over. The sensation became almost too intense for me and I tried to still his fingers but he held me firmly in place, driving me along almost painfully towards another release. I was a babbling moaning mess as he drove his hips forwards and his fingers inwards. Tears welled in my eyes and I almost pleaded with him to stop, but then the wave of ecstasy crashed over me and I stiffened as the pleasure coursed through me. Finnick pushed me down onto the bed and fell on top of me when my cries and moans of pleasure escalated. His short thrusts made me wild with pleasure as I pushed myself back against him. It seemed too much for Finnick to bear; I heard him whispering my name over and over again as he finally spent himself inside me.

He rolled off me and onto his back while I rolled onto my side, my hand resting on his chest as my fingers lazily drew nondescript shapes. I was mentally and physically exhausted and yet my body was buzzing, every nerve alive and charged.

Finnick began stroke my hair, his fingers running through the length of my locks. He turned and my eyes met his, "are you going to tell me what happened?"

I stared into his eyes almost getting lost within them. I didn't want to spoil the moment and so and I shook my head. "No yet," I whispered before catching his lips within mine.

My past was bleak and filled with horrors and my future was looking no brighter but in that moment everything was perfect. I wanted to stay in that moment forever... but forever would have to wait because it had to give way to reality.

Possession

They were leaving, my training was complete. The Victors tour was in two weeks and then it was on to the Capitol. Strangely enough though, I was more scared of not seeing Finnick until I arrived at District 4 than I was about what awaited me in the Capitol.

There were still so many unspoken words between me and Finnick, things that we felt for one another that we didn't dare speak. Happy ever afters were a dream so I would have to settle for dreaming of a life with Finnick and I did often and it wasn't until I was standing alone watching the train disappear into the distance did I realise...

In the couple of months I had know Finnick Odair, I had slowly but surely fallen in love with him.

Oh crap!

AN: Sorry for the delay. Did you enjoy it? Please let me know what you think, every review puts a smile on my face. Remember reviews equal motivation which means more chapters.