My chest burns, a gaping hole is forming, I'm sure of it. My heart feels as if has broken into a billion pieces. My eyes sting from the tears that pour down my face, streaking my face. My breathing is ragged, as I try to speak the many questions I need to know.

I collapse onto my knees. The pain is ripping me apart. I tangle my hands in to my hair, and pull. The sensation is almost refreshing, as I try to ignore the mental pain I am feeling. I squeeze my eyes shut. Nothing I do seems to wash away the pain.

I feel, sturdy arms wrap around me.

Gale.

I swallow and try to dampen my dry throat, to be able to speak.

"Gale…?"

"Yes Catnip."

Gulp.

"When did they take them?" A sudden, loud, sob escapes. Gales holds me closer, I lean my head onto his shoulder. I realize his shoulder is soaking wet from my tears. Gale's fingers lift my chin up so I'm looking straight at him. His eyes are full of pain.

"The day after you won. I tried to tell you sooner. I tried. But no-one would let me through to you. Everyone refused to pass on the message that I had rang."

"So Prim and my mother been took by the Capitol?" I ask weakly, in between sobs and the gagged expression that came afterwards.

"I'm so sorry Catnip. I did everything I could."

"Stop! Just stop apologizing, Gale. I know you would have done everything you could. Please, just tell me what happened."

I am annoyed. He has no need to be apologizing. This is my entirely my fault. He shouldn't be blamed.

He exhales loudly. This is the first time I look around our little huddle of pain. I see the concerned faces of Peeta, Haymitch and Cinna. All the other faces looked curious. I look away. But now I realize that they are there, I feel their eyes boring into my back.

"It was early afternoon and I was at your house. We were waiting for the first gifts promised from the Capitol. I thought that something might be up," His voice lowered so that I was the only one who could hear, "But I tried not to think about it" He takes a long breathe. "When the van came, I went to help. As the first man left the house with what seemed like only empty boxes I entered with more boxes. I realized that your Mum and Prim weren't there. I immediately realized what had happened and ran outside towards where the van had been. But in it's place was nothing apart from the wheel marks." He looks at me and places his mouth close or at least closer to my ear and whispers so quietly that even I have problems hearing him. "They were in the boxes, Catnip."

My breath gets caught in my lungs. My breathe leaves flies they really had taken them.

And even though every part of me is yelling to just crawl under a rock and cry my eyes out, I can't. I have to save Prim and my mother. I have to just put a brave face on. No way can I let the capitol know that them taking my family has hurt me. I have to put my emotionless mask back on. I have to stay strong for Prim.

With great difficulty, I stop my tears and shakily try to stand. I can't stand, so Gale helps me up placing his hands under my elbows.

I look at his face carefully. His eyes are puffy, surrounded by deep circles of purple. He had obliviously hadn't had much sleep recently.

I gulp.

"Are you okay?" I ask Gale.

He looks back at me, his grey eyes are steamy. "'Course I Am, why?"

He smiles back at me. I can tell it is forced,, yet it still makes me feel a miniscule better and a degree warmer.

I don't know what made me ask whether he was okay. So, I don't say anything at first and just shrug my shoulders "You just look tired that's all."

Gales nods, and starts dragging my away. Well actually you he leads me, but because I can't seem to move my legs, I end up being dragged.

"Where are we going?" I ask, totally bewildered, as I try to walk, instead of staggering behind Gale.

"Home, the Capitol is supposed to be in charge of your transport" He carries' on dragging me. "Over my dead body!"

Hmmm… have I heard right?

"Whoa!" I say trying to make Gale to stop. "So you expect us to walk back to the Seam?" I think about the walk. It is about a three hour walk – four hour walk? I suppose that it's not exactly a trek toward my death, but walking through numerous forests and woods filled with bloodthirsty hunters in a dress isn't anywhere near the top of my 'to do list'.

I attempt to make Gale stop once more. He doesn't budge an inch but continues on his murderous hike, his grey eyes like the stormy sky that is suffocating us.

"Come on Catnip! I swear if you don't start walking, I'll freaking carry you!" He turned and smiled at me. "Actually on second thought I don't think it would be possible to carry you that far! Unless I –you know- do my back in!"

I can't help grinning back which annoys me because usually when I end up smiling it means that Gale has just gotten his way again, which in this case was me being dragged through forest after forest.

I just shake my head and carry on staggering behind him.

"Do you know how irritating it is how you always get your own way?" I ask him as my legs finally start to work at his pace.

"Yes, I know. But what would I be without my ability to annoy you?"

"Normal," I pause for a second and think "But not the Gale we all know and love." I conclude with the slightest sarcasm colouring my tone.

"Shut up Catnip, and god, can you walk any slower?"

"Don't tempt me" I say making him smile, his stormy eyes shining. I sigh and start walking quicker.

"So what are we going to do about the capitol?" I ask, obliviously stating the most the important question.

My cheeks are burning from all my tears before; my eyes are stinging whilst my eyelids feel heavy. My heart still felt like it had been trampled on by a herd of elephants and tore into millions of pieces but I couldn't let the Capitol realize what they have done is tearing me apart painfully.

I want to just crawl onto the ground and bawl my guts. I just want to get away from all this pain, to be able to throw it all away. However I can't. I can't until I have Prim and my mother back. Prim is so young, so fragile but under my other's protection I can't help thinking that she would be better of defending herself. Thinking of Prim sends a new stab of pain throughout my body. My chest feels like it is on fire.

"Katniss?" I start being shook "Yo, Katniss you there?" I finally realize that Gale was speaking to me as I was deep in thought.

"Huh?" I say without thinking, "Yeah?"

"I was saying," Gales sighs dramatically, "that we will go to get them."

"You sure that's safe? I say, which without a doubt is an extremely stupid question.

"Nope, but has that ever stopped us before?"

And with this new surge of hope I start walking back to the Seam, the pain slowly burning me.