Hello my darlings! I can't believe how long this took! I actually had to reread everything and stayed up all night writing this. I have been not busy at all just really lazy. I have been writing a play, memorizing lines for a play, basically lots of theatrical stuff. It's called Pan the Man, and it tells children not to do drugs. A good lesson I think. That's my boring life, please please please comment criticize anything. I love any and all feedback. Hope you enjoy! And as of the moment I am typing this it's 126 days, 23 hours, 31 minutes, and 03 seconds until Catching Fire. Is anyone else as excited as I am?

Chapter 12: No Need To Check The Fence

The TV is black. It's not coming back on, why isn't it coming back on? Is Gale dead? Is there a knife plunged into his chest? Is he on his way home in a wooden box? We all sit there in silence, Prim has silent tears running down her face. I can't contain myself and I plunge my face into Peeta's shoulder. I sob like I did when my father never came out of the mines. He just rubs my back and I can feel his tears fall into my dirty, unwashed hair. About ten or twenty minutes later a knock is at the door. My mother doesn't move, Prim has gone into the bedroom and cuddled with the demon cat, and I am too dehydrated to move. So Peeta, being the only sensible one, drags me off of the couch and keeps and arm around me, while we get the door. He opens it to a Peacekeeper, I have never seen this one before. He holds a note card and hands it to Peeta, seeing as I am not functional. Peeta leads me back to the couch and reads the note aloud.

It says"Dear citizens of District Twelve. There are difficulties getting the broadcast of the Games to your District. Until the Games are over, we can not hope to fix the problem. We understand you have loved ones in the Games, so a note will be sent to all houses everyday at 3:00 with updates on all the tributes. May the odds be ever in your favor. -President Snow" Peeta takes the note and rips it. I just hold him tighter and sob a little harder, if that was possible.

"It didn't say anything about Gale did it?" questions Prim from the doorway.

"I'm sorry, no. If it did, you'd know," says Peeta in the sweetest voice he can manage. My mother is completely silent. She hasn't moved a muscle since the television turned off, she is still looking at it. I pull myself together and cross over to her.

"Mom, mom it's not going to turn on. You should get some rest, come on." I help her out of the rocking chair and lead her to Prim who takes her into the bedroom. "Prim, it's late and you should sleep too." She just nods at me. I go back to Peeta and stroke his hair out of his face. "Stay here tonight will you? I can't face to darkness alone." I whisper. He too just nods at me and begins to lay down on the couch. I grab the blanket in the corner and drape it over Peeta. I sit next to him and rub his back, he just stares at me. He then puts out his arms for me, and I gladly go into them. He holds me tightly, then I feel his long golden eyelashes flutter against my shoulder. They flutter again and he says, "Katniss, do you think he's gone?" I think for a moment then think of how weak I was earlier and decide to be strong now.

"No, he will be fine. Trust me. He is in that arena, curled up in a tree, waiting for the dawn." I turn around to face him, and kiss his forehead. I look into his eyes and see terror. I can almost see the scenarios going through his mind. It scares me, and I do something I have done only for my sister. I begin to sing. I don't sing a happy song, I sing a song my father taught me, and my mother forbade me to remember. Of course that just engraved it in my head. It's called the hanging tree. A forbidden song for forbidden thoughts. Peeta and I and everyone in Twelve shouldn't think that Gale is dead. I sing, and I can see the terror lessen slightly in his crystal blue eyes.

Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Where they strung up a man they say murdered three.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.

Peeta closes his eyes and relaxes slightly.

Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Where the dead man called out for his love to flee.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.

I hold him tighter in my arms and think of Peeta and I as the people in this song.

Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Where I told you to run so we'd both be free.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.

I begin to think of what would have happened if he were in the Games and we never had a chance to love each other.

Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.

As I finish the song, I hear the nightingales pick up the tune. I then thank an unseen force that we did in fact, have a chance to love. And I realize right then, that if I ever lost him, I would have nothing at all. Just an empty shell of a girl.
And I decide right then, that if he asked me to marry him. I'd say yes.

Hello again! Hoped you loved it! I will be writing more soon! Sorry for any grammar problems its 1:08. Please comment or PM me or something! even if its one word it would mean so much! And a long one would mean the world times shorter wait. Thank you! - Hayley