{Hello again! I wanted to mention the first person who reviewed my story!

Thank you so much, TheDeathlyHallows-123 for reviewing! It meant a lot to me and I appreciate the fact that you took time to review it 3 You are the inspiration for chapter 2! :)

I should mention that a lot of the stuff in this fanfiction won't be close to the book or the movie but that's because I'm putting my own little spin on it. I want to thank someone who had reviewed on this fanfiction 3 I just thought I would let everyone know that it's not anything like the book or movie. Just a little bit of it 3 Thank you! }

Peeta Mellark

I kept telling myself to pull away, to push him off and run. But, he held a power over me that I didn't understand, even now. Finally, I pulled back. I found it funny how I could resist when I needed air to breathe but when I wanted to pull back just to get away from Peeta's kiss it didn't work out in my favor. I found his eyes once again locked onto mine, but I looked away. "Peeta, I need to go." It was my favorite excuse. His arms kept me from moving. I felt all of the rage that I held inside of me the past week come out, and my hand connected with his cheek so a loud slap echoed. He stumbled back, shock written on his face. I stood with anger. My emotions seemed to be escaping my control.

"You say sorry and expect me to forgive you just like that?" I was acting selfish. I knew that. I was the one who played him in the Hunger Games. I was the one who used him, his feelings that he had held for me, to gain power over the Capitol's people. I did it only to surivive, yet at some point through all of the acting it turned to truth.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, which angered me more. I was being weak. If we were in the Hunger Games, I wouldn't be alive. Tributes would see me as pathetic. And, because of all these emotions I was feeling, I could see myself surrendering to their attacks.

This time it's me who walks up to him and places my arms around his waist. I didn't expect a hug back, But when he wrapped his arms around me I felt a lot better. "I need to finish hunting. I promised Prim a few nights ago that I would bring some meat home." It wasn't a lie. I just couldn't lie around him. Not anymore. I expected him to walk away and tell me that we could meet up again tomorrow. I expected these meetings with Peeta to happen here in the clearing every day. But, he took my hand and walked with me back into the woods. I appreciated the effort he was putting in, but I wasn't comfortable with all of these affections. They were still very new to me.

I pulled my hand away and placed it back onto my bow, the other hand shot straight out in front of Peeta to get him to stop moving. He understood right away and kept still as I lifted the arrow, my thumb touching my lips. Taking two steady breaths I let the arrow fly. I hit the squirrel in the eye, an act that made me famous before the Games. I walk over, first taking the arrow out and using a small scrap of cloth I kept in the quiver to clean the blood off of the arrow tip. Then, I lift the squirle up and continue to walk, Peeta following me. "Are you coming for dinner?" Gale would have laughed and said that I hardly had enough to feed my family, let alone invite him over for dinner. "I have some bread in my pouch." Peeta gave me a smile, a smile that calmed me. I guess he was staying. I looked up, noticing the sun was gone. When did the sun set? I stopped Peeta once more with my arm. The guards, they were there. Peeta noticed it as well. He grabbed me and pulled me back into the shadows of the trees. "Katniss what are we going to do?" There he was, the Peeta I was actually used to.

"I don't know," another honest answer. "I always managed to make it out before the guards came back." I whispered. "Come on." I walked deeper into the woods, Peeta following behind me. "Do you hear that?" He asked and for a second I started to shake my head until it got closer. It was a large hover craft flying over our heads. I took Peeta's hand and pulled him so we could hide, another thing Gale used to do. "What are they doing here? The Hunger Games aren't supposed to start for another ten months!" Peeta whispered. I nodded mutely. He was right; they weren't.
"We need to figure out how to get back, quickly."

"We could do it you know, run off." I don't know why Gale's words came back to me. I found myself looking out to where Gale had planned to run before the Games. "I would run that way" I remember him pointing out, up the mountains. For a minute I actually found myself considering it. I knew it was hopeless to actually try it. If they caught Peeta and me running, we would be killed. Besides, Prim couldn't live in the forest and I refused to leave her behind. But then again, we would most likely be found in this restricted area and would be killed either way. I was scared, not for myself but for Peeta and Prim. Peeta must have been able to tell something was wrong because he wrapped a comforting arm around me.

"Wait!" he turned to look at me, a smile slowly forming on his face. "the water. The path that you go over, well I go under." I was confused; I had no idea what he was talking about. The path? What path? I used the bridge...the bridge! So that's how Peeta had been coming into the forest.

"Show me." That was more of a demand but it was because of how desperate I had become. I wanted to run and make sure Prim was safe. To run and make sure that the Capitol was here for a completely different reason than to start the 75th annual hunger games now. As soon as Peeta started to walk back towards the fence I tried to stop him but he placed two hands on my shoulder.

"Trust me," he said. The nerve he had! Trust him? After all he-I had to stop my thoughts. No, I had no choice but to trust him right now.

"Fine, lead the way and you better be right, Peeta." As soon as he started to walk I was behind him. I was confused when he walked down to the river I usually hunted by, but instead of bringing me through the regular path I was used to, he walked me through a trail that lead to a small tunnel in the sewers. Fear rang through me, this tunnel was connected to the coal mines where my father worked. When they blew, everyone assumed they went too. The guards wouldn't be watching these.

"Katniss, it'll be fine." He touched my cheek trying to sooth me. 'For Prim,' I thought to myself and continued to follow him. The place reeked, we stepped over dead animal bones and rats that ran through them. I put my arm over my nose.

"We're almost there!" Peeta gave me a comforting smile. It was one of the most comforting things that he said all day. As we neared the edge, the tunnel broke into another path. There were two ways to go but Peeta kept walking straight, so I followed him and was thankful I did. Soon enough we were out on the other side which brought us to a small ladder coming out of the water. He looked around to make sure the coast was clear and I followed suit before climbing up. I let out a long breath of relief and gave a small smile but it quickly disappeared.

Terrible things were happening one after another. I had forgotten about Peeta and I, about what would happen once everyone from our District saw us together again. I could see hope light up in their eyes. Hope for what? I wasn't sure. We had just gotten over the Seam talking about the star crossed lovers from District 12 being their only hope to survive. And now, after months of getting them to calm down, they would start up all because Peeta wanted to hold my hand. This boy deserved another slap. I waited until they turned their heads to pull my hand from his grasp, "Stop." I knew he understood what I meant, because he put his hands back down to his side and walked with me like that.

The letter! I had completely forgotten about the letter I received. It must have been from Peeta, he was the only one I could think of that wouldn't cause Prim to run away in fear. So, I had to ask. "When did you give Prim the letter, Peeta?" I studied him when I asked, surprised to find shock.

"Katniss, what letter? I didn't send you a letter." He stopped walking now, staring at me.

"Nothing, sorry," I mumbled and avoided meeting eyes with him while we continued walking.

"Katniss," he was ready to talk to me again but I turned around and gave him a forced smile.

"I'm home. Thanks for walking me." I said and walked up to my door. Thankfully, that was enough for the people still watching to swoon over. I turned around to see if Peeta was going to follow but he walked off. Before I entered, I looked down beside the door where my dad's old helmet laid. I missed him. My mind traced back to the tunnel Peeta showed me.

Morning came faster than I wanted. I remember coming home after the big adventure and talking with Prim and my mother before getting an early night. I felt Prim lying beside me this time, not wanting to let her go. She didn't need to go anywhere today. Mom wanted to go alone, which made me happy considering my thoughts contained Dad, and I didn't want or need mom to know.

I finally let Prim go. Standing and putting on my regular clothes before stepping outside, I remembered the hover craft from yesterday. Peeta and I were both confused by the appearance, which made me wonder if he found out what it was doing here. I knew better though than to go and ask. I tried to avoid getting myself mixed up with other things. Do we need the previous sentence?

"Good morning Catnip." That familiar voice that made everything inside of me turn warm. I hadn't heard it in a while. I turned around to see Gale smiling at me, Madge by his side, also smiling.

I walked over to the two of them like a zombie. "Gale." I knew Madge was there, but she was still in shock Gale was actually speaking to her. She remembered just weeks ago when Gale had decided that being my friend was a little too much. When he admitted how much he cared for me, I didn't know how to react. I had pulled away from the situation. I felt his arms wrap around me and I buried my face into his chest instantly, but made sure not to keep the hug long. I pulled away from him and gave Madge a small smile.

"Did you see the hovercraft, Catnip?" He whispered, Madge and him both looking at me. They wanted answers, answers I couldn't provide for them.

"Yes. I saw it with..." I hesitated. I didn't want to have Gale mad at me, I didn't even know if he was my friend again. Maybe he was just here for an answer. "I saw it with Peeta in the woods when I was hunting," I whispered.

Gale went quiet for a second and I thought he and Madge were going to walk away. "There was another Coal mining incident. That's why they are here." Madge spoke softly, causing me to look slightly confused. I was surprised, only because I was the last one to know. What about mom, did she know?

"Since when did the Capitol care?" I questioned before I could stop it.

I saw Gale smile at what I had said. "That's why everyone is riled up. They never care." Gale winked in my direction before placing a hand on Madge's back. That was shocking, considering before he acted as if he didn't care for her. "I need to go." It was the first time in a while that I saw Gale, but it was different when others were around us.

I was by myself once more. Gale and Madge walking back to what I guessed was her father's home. I was happy for him, I think. My mind was drifting from Prim, Gale, and Peeta. I felt like I was placed on a bridge holding three stings, and in order to survive I had to let go of two. I would choose Prim, I didn't need to think on that one, but I wanted to know why I felt as though I had to choose. I enjoyed Peeta's company. I felt an attraction to him that I couldn't explain. And Gale, Gale was my best friend. Even now, I wanted to be selfish and not let him go. So, deciding that, why did I feel as though I had to choose? Not so much between the boys and Prim, but Gale and Peeta?

"Katniss, come here!" I heard a whisper from the back of the bakery. When did I get there? I must have not been paying attention. I looked over to see Peeta motioning me with his hand to walk over, which I did.

"What is it?" This was suspicious and he knew it. "Peeta, if people see us like this they are going to wonder-"

His hand clasped over my mouth. "No, stop. There has been another mining incident. The Capitol is here for some reason. Snow is here, Katniss. This isn't normal, they never did this when..." He hesitated to complete his sentence. I knew what he meant. He meant when my father died.

"What do you think is going on?" I asked, in a way I didn't care. But, it was odd that they were here, I had to admit that. "Maybe they are showing their respect because we won the Hunger Games, Peeta. What if that's the reason?" He seemed to consider that.

"Fine, but I still think something else is happening." He let me walk back to the front of the bakery where he stood with me.

"I saw Gale, he was looking for you." He hesitated with that as well. "Did he find you?"

"Yes, I saw him with Madge. It was nice to see him." I took my knife out of my pocket.

I couldn't risk hunting tonight which meant I had to find something to cook. The guards were there. I knew they were. If the Capitol was here, then everything would be heavily guarded. There were people ready to kill Snow, and in order to protect him they would need all the guards they could get.

"My father wants you and your family to come over for dinner." Peeta said, looking at me. Was this his way of dropping everything on me? His father was very nice to me and to decline the offer would be rude.