Chapter Two

In Peeta's arms I manage to sleep straight through until morning, no shadowy deamons lurk for me in the corner of his living room. My muscles are cramped from our awkward sleeping position but I do not dare move, I do not dare interrupt his sleep, I know how precious a thing it is.

Suddenly Peeta's body tenses underneath me and his eyes shoot open. His breathing stops and he starts shaking. "Peeta" I whisper but he still does not breathe. "Peeta!" I begin to shout. Panic rushes over me and I don't know what to do, if Prim was here she would know what to do, should I try to snap him out of it? Should I perform mouth to mouth to give him his breath back? Suddenly I have an idea. I climb onto Peeta's lap and encompass him in my arms, I press my whole body into his in an attempt to stop his shaking. This is what I used to do to calm Johanna during her violent withdrawl fits back in Distric 13.

The pressure of my body on his quells his tremors and I silently stroke his hair until his breathing returns. I can feel a tear drop from his face which is resting in the crook of my neck. "It's ok Peeta" I whisper soothingly "I'm here now, it's ok".

We sit like this, with me cradling Peeta in my arms, until he fully regains his composure. After a while he gently pushes me from him. I move, and stretch my cramped limbs. When I look back at Peeta he avoids my gaze, he looks embarassed. "Oh Peeta" I say, taking his hand in mine "it's ok, I...I still get them too". He looks back up at me and I see the hint of a smile on his lips, he knows he is not alone.

We spend the rest of the day tentatively filling eachother in on our lives since our return to District 12. I learn that Peeta has been obsessively filling his time with his baking and painting, and that, like me, he barely sleeps. I have very little to say as my days have been so inactive. He seems surprised when he learns that I had not left my house before last night. He takes my hands in his and a smile plays across his lips "come with me" he says and leads me in to the hallway. When I see him open the front door I stop in in my tracks "no Peeta, I can't" I whisper, stuck to the spot. Darkness waits for us outside the door.

"Yes you can Katniss, come on I have something to show you". I shut my eyes as Peeta leads me out into the cool night air. My body is racked with shaky breaths and I cannot bring myself to open my eyes. Images of my first visit to 12 after the bombings flash before my eyes and all I can imagine is charred bones snapping under my feet like leaves.

Finally Peeta stops and beckons me to open my eyes. We are standing in what used to be the old Town Square, I gaze around me and gasp at the transformation. What once was our dull and dusty town, and what more recently was a heap of smouldering ash is alive with colour in the moonlight. The fences into the forest have been torn down and its colour and life has spread to the heart of our old town, what ruins had been left after the clean up are being encroached on by vines and creeping flowers. The soft silence of the night is peppered with the hoots of owls and the chirp of crickets. To our left, where the Hob used to stand is a small campsite of makeshift homes, some of the families who have returned are gathered around open fires roasting game, telling stories and drinking jugs of what I assume to be Ale.

Some of the villagers notice us and tip their jugs at us in recognition. Living in such close quarters with all these people in 13 has thankfully stripped us of the intrigue of our fame and they leave us be. "Come on" Peeta ushers me from the square, "there's something even better". After all of our heavy and morose talk so far I relish in the excitement in Peeta's voice and find myself almost skipping along behind him. He takes me along the familiar path from the square, past where the old shopfronts stood, through the now recovering meadow to the site of my childhood home.

The moment of glee I felt fades into confusion and I bite my lip "what is this?" I ask. All I can see before me is a large rectangular pit with shovels scattered around the side.

Mass Grave.

Peeta has brought me to a mass grave.

Why has he brought me here?

Is his mind still warped,

does he still hate me?

Is this punishment?

I start to panic and my breath leaves me, my head feels light and I turn to run. Peeta must sense the panic in my eyes and plants his hands on my shoulders, holding me in place, grounding me. "Katniss" he says slowly and calmly "breathe for a second and let me explain". I search his eyes for spite and malice but find none, so I stay put.

"This" he says gesturing to the hole in the ground "is the foundations of the Primrose Everdeen Memorial Hospital". The very sound of Prim's name smacks me in the gut and I am left breathless again. Peeta turns to look at the foundations "the volunteers started this a few days ago" he says "I have been bringing them bread for their lunch" he beams as he turns back to me but stops as he notices the silent tears rolling down my cheek.

"I'm sorry Katniss" he says urgently "it's too soon isn't it?", "god I'm so stupid sometimes" he says as he starts a barage of apologetic self depricating rants. To shut him up I take his face in my hands and look straight into his eyes. "No Peeta" I say, tilting my face closer to his "it's perfect".

"Good" he whispers, his lips so close to mine they are almost touching.