Chapter Two:

Katniss's POV

I tread delicately on my usual hunting path in the comfort of the woods. It is a crisp morning, and the leaves that have been falling from the trees in these past few months threaten to reveal my location to any surrounding animals. The light shines through the lifeless trees and onto my back as I look for prey.

I hear a faint scuttle that I judge to be twenty feet away. I silently take aim at what I think is a wild turkey. My finger is just about to leave contact with the string, when an arrow flies out from the other direction. It pierces the turkey in the heart.

"Catnip, you've lost your touch." Gale's voice rises up from behind a tree. He walks forward and picks up the turkey.

"You," I mutter under my breath.

"Me," he says as he takes the arrow out of the animal. "Did you miss me?"

"Miss you?" I snarl, "You killed her." Gale remains silent. I blink back tears and continue, "Then, you left me and went to District 2."

"And now I'm back," he says. I detect no trace of even the faintest emotion in his voice.

"TOO LATE I ALREADY HATE YOU" I scream.

"Catnip, you don't mean that!" he mutters.

"Actually, I do mean that"

"Katniss, there are no more walls that we can run into now, no more fences to keep us in, no death threats that hang above our heads! You don't have to pretend to love Peeta anymore!"

"Yes I don't have to pretend to love Peeta anymore," I say taking a step closer to him, "because I am in love with him."

"But what about us?" Gale whines.

"There is nothing left Gale. Everything could have been something if you cared about me, and stayed by my side, or even tried not to be jealous when I came back from the first Hunger Games." I spit back, crossing my arms over my small belly. He doesn't know yet and he doesn't need to know, he doesn't deserve it.

These pregnancy hormones make my body sprinkle with sweat. "Well, he doesn't love you like I do, Catnip!" he yells back, obviously losing with temper. I turn around as my face turns red with anger. I bite my tongue to stop me saying anything else but my brain is scolding myself for not saying anything rude.

"Catnip," he says softly, as if he was apologizing. I stop, take a deep breath in and prepare myself for whatever is going to happen. I turn around and he is standing only inches away from my body. I step away as he steps towards me again, closing the distance I need so badly. I cross my arms over again and stare harshly into his eyes, I want to beat him and swear at his fake apologetic eyes. I raise an eyebrow because I have waited long enough for him to say something.

He clears his throat before he says calmly and softly, "Katniss, I have known you for a long time now, and you probably already know my feelings for you. And just in case you have forgotten, I am proud to repeat that I love you Katniss Everdeen."

It's Katniss Mellark, you don't know me bitch, I think to myself as I smirk on the inside. He glances at my left hand as he takes a deep breath.

"Katniss, is it too late to ask you whether you will marry me?" he says as he gets down on one knee and pulls a golden ring out of his hunting jacket. I knew I should have brought the ring Peeta gave me, I think to myself as I mentally punch myself in the face. My jaw drops to the floor and I start shaking. I try to clear the thoughts running through my head as I force my mind to think straight.

At that moment, Gale decides to press his rough, dry lips against mine. Unlike Peeta, his kisses are rough and violent, his parched lips exploring mine. I shake my head as I try to break free from his tight arms, trapping me like a vine cage. He lifts me up and struggle to wriggle out. I gasp, and he forces my lips open as he explores my mouth in a rush. I close my mouth and shut him out. He grunts and tries to wrench my lips open again.

Tired of this stupid game, I kick him between his legs as he pulls me higher. He doubles over as I land on my two feet, crunching the fallen branches beneath me. I catch my breath as I take the bottle of water out of my hunting bag. I rinse my mouth in the clean water and spit the remainder at Gale's face as he fights to shut the tears from falling.

"I'M PREGNANT YOU BITCH!" I scream at the top of my lungs, the bird flee the trees and the animals scurry out of the way. He looks up at me with a confused look on his teary face.

"What?" he says, obviously still in pain from the kick. I give myself a mental tap on the back to congratulate my kicking skills.

"How are you pregnant?" he asks too innocently. "We only met ten mi -" he continues as his eyes grow wider and wider my the second. I laugh at the thought of having kids with him, but I also laugh because he honestly thinks I got pregnant from looking at him.

I roll my eyes and take another look at his face and how stupid it looks. He looks like a whining child, his lips pouted.

"Katniss, we all know you don't really love Peeta and you love me." he says as he gets up.

"You are wrong Gale. I am pregnant with the child of the man I love. THE MAN I LOVE!" I scream in frustration.

"The man you love?" he softly whispers to the earthy floor. He throws the ring down, where the gold catches the sun, illuminating the pile of leaves it rests upon. "So I guess that a no?" he continues. His voice is tainted with sarcasm and indignation.

"WELL NO SHIT. I love Peeta. Now, before, and always."

"Katniss, that is a lie," Gale whispers.

"No, Gale you are trying to hard to live a life that is a lie," I start, "a lie." I kick dirt onto the ring, where it lands on the golden band. It blocks obstructs diamond from view.

"You don't deserve to live, you don't deserve to breathe the same air as every worthy thing out there. You don't deserve to see the orange sky at sunset," I say softly, I smile to myself as Peeta's favourite shade of orange enters my thoughts.

I shake my head and turn my attention to Gale as he slowly stands up, straight and emotionless. He looks me dead in the eye as I continue, "You don't deserve to have a heartbeat, not after what you did to Prim." I say as tears crawl and slide down my face.

"I didn't mean to - " he spits back aggressively.

"You were the one who created the bombs. The bombs that killed my sister, my Prim." I say. I let the tears fall freely because there is no point in wiping them away. I am still a fresh waterfall on the inside. I will never be the same because I have failed to protect Prim. I will always have a wound in the middle of my heart.

"You don't understand..." he continues.

"I completely understand, Gale." I yell back. Just then, I turn to walk away as he tries to find the words to come out of his open mouth. I start running because I hear him getting closer, pulling my arm, calling my name. Tears make my sight go blurry and a massive fallen tree branch materializes in front of me. I slam into it and sharp twigs cut open my skin. Blood is around me when my tears become tears of pain. I turn around and see Gale running to me, dropping his weapons.

"Katniss!" a voice screams at me. Gale didn't say it because his mouth never opened and was sealed shut.

"Katniss!" I hear again and it is closely behind me. I turn around, careful to not hurt myself even more. The pain is unbearable as the cuts grow wider with every slight movement I make. Peeta is running towards me with a angry face when he looks to Gale.

"You did this?" Peeta yells as Gale tries to lift me up, only widening my wounds even more. I scream in pain as Peeta shoves Gale away from me by the shoulders.

"What's wrong with you? You leave for years after Prim died and left Katniss alone when she needed support? I was the only one who was here for her because her 'best friend' was in District Two! I let her leave for a small hunt and you hurt her and possibly the baby?" he yells as he keeps pushing him back and stands in front of me, protecting me.

"I only came here to say hello," Gale starts, Peeta eventually gets pissed and jumps on Gale. They both wrestle and roll on the grass and cuss each other. I see blood on Peeta's face and his eye is purplish. I scream as loud as my sore throat lets me and the two stop and glance in my direction.

"Help me," is all I am able to whisper as the two guys back away from each other cautiously. I feel hands under my legs and my thighs and I am lifted off the ground and held close to his chest. I feel his heartbeat calming down after the wrestling match they just had. I open my eyes and glance at Gale who is still standing against the tree as if he didn't do anything.

"Fuck you, Gale." is all I manage to say before my eyes shut and I fall into a deep sleep.