Chapter 2

The next day is Tuesday. On Friday is the reaping and yesterday was the day Alex and Katniss met and became fast friends.

"Who's your friend?" Katniss' little sister Prim asks.

"She is turning twelve today and she is smaller then you." Katniss smiles as she and Prim walks hand in hand to the fence. They quickly look around before slipping through and heading into the woods.

In the woods, Katniss and Prim sits down on the log that Katniss and Alex claimed.

"Where is she?" Prim asks.

"She's..." Katniss starts before getting cut off.

"KATNISS!" Katniss looks up in time to see Alex tackle her.

"Hi to you too." Katniss laughs as the two of them gets up.

Alex looks at Prim and smiles.

"You must be Prim. Katniss talks about you all the time." Prim blushes.

"You are the one that Katniss never stops talking about. She never says your name in case someone overhears." Alex nods.

"I haven't told my brothers or dad what happened yesterday." Katniss sits down on the log and Alex sits down next to her, "Oh, here."

Alex opens the bag she brought and hands Katniss bread, carrots, and other foods that she was able to sneak out.

She hands Katniss the food so she can see.

"How where you able to get this?" Prim asks shocked.

"Well, the Snow dude gave it to us. He's providing us with 3 months of food." Alex explains.

"Did Justin, Max and your dad see?" Katniss asks putting all the food in the bag.

"Nope. Max went to the park with Justin and dad went to the library." Alex smirks, "he is sending us to school so I can annoy people." Katniss rolls her eyes.

"Oh, I got you something for your 12th birthday today." Katniss digs into her coat pocket and hands Alex a Mockingjay pin. Prim has the exact same one since the lady gave Katniss two.

Alex's mouth drops open running her fingers over it.

"Where did you get this?" Alex whispers.

"You know the rabbits we hunted yesterday?" Alex nods, "I was in the market selling them, and the lady gave me two pins, both Mockingjays. I gave you one and one to Prim." Alex wraps her arms around Katniss and Katniss hugs her back. Katniss pulls Prim into the hug as Prim sighs.

"I'll bring Max and Justin tomorrow to meet you. I will not bring dad until I know he will not say anything." Alex pulls out of the hug, as Katniss puts the pin on Alex's coat. Prim's is already on her's, so neither will be lost.

"Ok. So what do you want to do today?" Katniss agrees.

The three of them hears a stick snap and turns around quickly.

"Come on." Katniss whispers grabbing her bow and arrows, before grabbing Prim's and Alex's hands. The three of them runs out of the clearing and hides behind a thick tree.

Alex takes Katniss' bow and arrow and gets into position.

Before she could fire, Alex sees Max and Justin walk into the clear.

"What the heck are you doing out here?" Alex asks stepping out from the tree still holding the bow and arrow.

"We can ask you the same thing." Justin looks at Alex.

"It's calming here." Alex shrugs her shoulders.

"Why do you have a bow and arrow?"

"None of your business Justin." Alex snaps.

"I'm your older brother. It is my business."

"You haven't been like a brother to me since mom died. You care more about Max and dad that you forget all about me!" Alex glares.

"I DON'T KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOU!" Justin shouts grabbing Alex's arms.

"Oww! Justin! YOU'RE HURTING ME!" Alex screams the last bit, trying to get out of his grip. Katniss and Prim runs out from behind the tree and begins to pull Alex away.

Once Alex is out of Justin's reach, she begins to cry and Katniss pulls her into a hug.

Prim takes the bow and arrow out of Alex's hand, as Alex clenches Katniss' coat in her hands.

Katniss narrows her eyes at Justin, making him back away.

"Who are you?" Max asks, stepping in. He knew Alex's view of things and out of everyone in the family Max knew what happened yesterday with Katniss and Alex. Plus, he was the one who helped Alex get the food for Katniss.

"Katniss Everdeen. That's my little sister Prim." Katniss answers, "You must be Max." Max nods, "and you are Justin." Katniss looks at Justin.

"How do you know our names?" Justin narrows his eyes.

"Your sister and I are friends, Justin. She and I look at each other like siblings."

"Katniss?" Katniss turns around in time to see her best friend Gale, set through the tall grass and into the clearing, "who are all these people?" Gale Hawthorne asks.

"Gale, this is Alex Russo." Katniss introduces softly making Alex look at Gale for a moment before hiding in Katniss' arms, "those two guys are Alex's brothers Justin and Max. Max is the youngest and Justin is the oldest."

"Hey, I'm Gale Hawthorne. Catnip's best friend." Gale forces a smile, "ready to hunt Catnip?"

"Sure. Can you take Prim home first?" Gale nods with a forced smile before picking Prim up and carries her back to their home in District 12.

"Alex, time to go home. I'm sure dad will love to punish you." Justin glares at Alex.

"I'm not going anywhere with you Justin. I don't trust you anymore. You blew that. Just leave me alone." Alex narrows her eyes letting tears fall. She keeps her arms around Katniss, not leaving the one people that loves her.

"When you get home, you are in shit Alexandra." Alex shrugs her shoulders.

"I guess if I'm chosen for The Hunger Games, you won't care if I get killed." Alex turns away and picks up the bow and arrows that Prim put down. She takes Katniss' hand and they disappear in into the tall grass and trees.

~K&A~

Alex walks into her house after Katniss and Gale teaching her how to make a bow and arrow out of branches. They even taught her how to make spears and what plants she can eat and can't eat.

"Where the hell were you Alexandra?" Alex looks up to see Jerry standing in front of her pissed off.

"Like you care dad." Alex mutters and walks up to her room... well tried. Jerry grabs Alex's arm and slams her into the wall.

"Don't make me ask again. Where were you?"

"You just asked again dad." Jerry slams Alex into the wall again, making her wince.

"Don't get smart with me." Jerry growls.

"Back off dad. You don't care about me. All you care about is Max and Justin." Alex tries to shove Jerry, but he is too strong, besides she's only 12 and Jerry is 52.

Jerry slams Alex again, before storming away. Alex slides down the wall, crying softly.

After 10 minutes, Alex gets up and runs out of the house. She runs to the fence, and slips through before running into the forest.

She jumps over fallen trees, dodges trees and fallen branches, until she gets to the clearing. She picks up the spears and the bow and arrows, which she was taught to make, before running to the fence of District 12. She puts the weapons into the tall grass and slips through the fence.

Alex wipes her tears and begins to walk around the town to the distant houses that Katniss told Alex that she lives in.

Alex walks to the one that Katniss described as 'a rundown shack'.

"Katniss." Alex calls in a whisper.

Alex waits 30 seconds before repeating.

After 2 minutes, the door opens. Even in the dark, Alex can see Katniss' braid.

"Katniss." Alex whispers.

"Alex?" Alex hears Katniss' whisper.

"Ya." Katniss wipes her eyes and walks over to Alex.

"What are you doing here?"

"I need you." Alex whimpers. Katniss pulls Alex's into a hug and buries her face in her hair.

"What happened?"

"Dad hurt me." Katniss pulls away shocked and pulls Alex into the house. Katniss closes the door and lights up the lamp.

"Where did he hurt you?" Katniss asks now that she can see Alex's red teary eyes, and tear streaks on her cheeks.

"H... he slammed me into the wall." Alex sobs. Katniss sits down on the chair and opens her arms. Alex collapses into Katniss' arms and wraps her arms around her neck.

Katniss sits Alex on her lap, rocking her back and forth silently. Suddenly she begins to sing softly.

Deep in the meadow, under the willow
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow
Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes
And when again they open, the sun will rise.

Alex slowly begins to calm.

Here it's safe, here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.

Katniss kisses Alex's hair as Alex wipes her tears.

Deep in the meadow, hidden far away
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away.

Katniss wipes the tears Alex missed as Alex closes her eyes.

Here it's safe, here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.

Katniss feels Alex go limp in her arms. Alex is asleep.

Katniss picks Alex up and carries her to her bed.

She removes Alex's shoes, soaked socks and coat. Katniss lays the items on the floor and crawls into her bed. She covers the two of them with the blanket and Alex cuddles up to Katniss. Katniss hugs her close and the two of them sleeps without worries.

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