Peeta's POV

My sleep was even more restless than it was the night before the reaping. The whole entire night all I was thinking about was what I was going to say to Katniss. I still haven't thought of anything. Hopefully seeing her will give me the words I'm seeking.

The alarm clock rings letting me know that it is time to get up and eat breakfast with the family. I walk into the kitchen expecting to see everyone already settling into their seats as we typically do on regular Sundays but today that isn't the case. Nobody is here.

I walk around the bakery unable to find anyone in sight. Maybe everyone went out for breakfast?

Finally the front door opens and Reid storms in, "Did you and Katniss ever talk last night?"

He is speaking in a rush tone and I am completely unsure why, "No what's wrong?"

"Katniss is missing. We've been searching for her all morning. She didn't sleep in her bed last night."

My heart sinks. Where could she be? Did she run back to Gale because I didn't answer her knocks?

I sprint out the door without saying anything more to Reid. I have to get over to Gale's to see if she's there and if she's not, I'm sure he will help us search for her.

Katniss' POV

It took me almost all night but I finally made it to where my feet were taking me. They must have known exactly where to go because my brain didn't.

The lake and the little house are just the way they were when my dad first brought me here. My favorite memories of my father are in this place.

I find the lake enticing me to jump in and forget about Peeta, but instead I decide to go into the run down house and just lay there. I drift asleep to the lull of the mockingjays.

Peeta's POV

In a matter of seconds I reach Gale's house.

I knock on the door and his mother answers, "Why hello, who are you?"

"I'm um a friend of Gale's."

"Well he's upstairs in his room if you'd like to go up there and speak to him. First door on the left."

I run up as fast as I can and burst into the room without even thinking of knocking, "Gale, wake up!"

"Why the hell are you in my room Mellark?"

"It's Katniss, she…"

"She what?" he quickly cuts me off, "Did she tell you that she has no feelings for me and only for you?"

"No..."

"Then what?"

"She's missing Gale."

The anger in his eyes is overcome by the look of fear, "When was the last time you saw?"

"Last night she came to my room but I didn't let her in. I acted like I was asleep but she knew I wasn't. I'm the reason she left."

And just like that his eyes change again, "I'm going to go find her," he says with extreme confidence and as if he has a secret agenda for when he finds her.

He starts to get dress and I start to panic. What if he does find her before I do? What if by finding her he finds the key to her heart? I can't let him have her.

"Gale! Stop!"

"What Mellark?"

"I know what you're thinking. You think if you find her she'll pick you over me."

"Wow you must be a mind reader or something?"

I quickly try to block off the door as he makes his way for the only exit. He just shoves me aside and runs downstairs and out the front door. I can't let him have her.

"Get back here Gale!"

I run outside and chase after him. At last, he is just outside my reach but then he quickly turns around and punches me in the face. The pain is searing and I'm probably going to have a black eye but I can't let him have Katniss so I overcome the pain and jump on top of him.

I have him pinned while I punch him left, right, left, right. I pause for only a moment but that was all he needed. He spits in my face and head butts me. That was his chance to turn the tables in this wrestling match and that's exactly what he did. Now I am on the bottom getting pummeled.

I wonder if this is what it feels like to be in one of those hand to hand battles in the Hunger Games. Punching, kicking, spitting, blood everywhere. At this point in the match, the odds are not in my favor.

I zone back into reality and roll Gale over and then he rolls me over and then I him again. This happens a few more times until we both roll down a hill just outside of the Seam.

The hill must have been a big one because the next thing I know I'm waking up in the infirmary with an aching head and a broken leg with Gale lying in the room adjacent to mine. He is in just as bad of a condition.

"Excuse me, nurse, what happened?"

"Aw honey you really must have a concussion. Well we believe that you and your friend, Gale, were in a little bit of a fight and during the fight you two both rolled down a hill and hit your heads. You've been out for a day now sweetie."

"A whole day?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Where's Katniss? Where's the rest of my family?"

Just as I say this in walks in my father, Evan, Reid, Prim, and Lily.

The first to speak is my father, "Ah good to see you awake!"

I can still tell that everyone is still distraught, "You haven't found her yet, have you?"

Nobody said anything but they didn't have to. The silence told me the answer.

"I'm getting out of this bed and going to go look for her."

This time my new mother begins to speak, "Katniss would want you to stay. You're not in good enough shape to go looking for her, dear."

"I have to! She's out there all by herself!"

"We know and that's why we're going to go look for her while you rest," Prim chimes in with her sweet voice.

"No! I'm getting out of here!"

My father begins beckoning for some assistance, "Doctor he needs more morphine!"

And just with the simple press of the button by the doctor, I'm out cold.