You don't forget the face of the person who was your last hope (On Hold)

Chapter 8

At that very moment his eyes began to burn a whole of intensity in mine. "Peeta?" I asked hoping it was a dream, because I couldn't face him now, not yet. "This isn't a dream real or not real?" He asked with desperation present in his tone. "Real" I responded quietly, with that said he walked towards me and without any warning he was holding me in a friendly embrace, it took me a second to hug him back but when I did his grip got tighter, like he was protecting me from something.

After a few minutes of embrace we separated and sat in the living room with Prim and myself on the sofa and Peeta on the armchair beside us. With Peeta so close to me I just feel safe but I also feel anxiety but I don't know why, maybe I'm scared in case he has an episode.

**TWO WEEKS AFTER**

After Peeta returned to district 12 and came to my house he has been very distant which I can understand, he is still recovering from the everything that has happened to him. I am roused from my thoughts when Prim comes out and sits beside me on the step out the front of our house. This is the first time in my life that I haven't wanted my sister with me, but I just wanted a couple more minutes to think through my thoughts. "You okay?" she asks with concern in her tone "yeah" I answer bluntly which I think scared her a little so I decide to tone my temper down a bit. "where's Gale?" I ask breaking the awkward silence I had formed between us from my previous words. "I think he's out hunting." she answered timidly, before I could answer she asked "So how are things between you two?" She asked curiously "Me and Gale..." I started but was interrupted by Prim "That's wrong." She states, and I just glare at her with confusion and agitation. "That's incorrect grammar, you always put yourself last." She states correcting me, I don't know why but I just lose it at her "Well I should be able to put myself first for once Prim!" I shout while standing up and storming off leaving Prim on the step confused.

While speedily making my way to the woods to gales comforting arms I make my way through the seam past my old house making me have a feeling of nostalgia run through me which was then replaced by terror causing me to run to the woods. While running to the fence and slipping under it I was silently praising my leg for healing so quickly but at that moment my leg became sore again so I slowed my pace and walked the rest of the way comforting my stitch that had formed in my side.

As I'm approaching Gale and I's meeting point Gale isn't there so I Head out knowing he will already be hunting. While tacking what I suspect is a dear I hear the rustling of foliage which caused me to react violently because of my past experiences, and turn on my heel with force and poise to release an arrow but am greeted by gale standing there grinning at my reaction. "Hi" he said still grinning "One of these days I'm going to end up killing you." I say seriously but my voice cracks towards the end by my sniggering "Now there's that smile I haven't seen in three years." he said smiling sweetly "What?" I ask wondering what he mean't "You never smile any more catnip." He retorts while frowning "I haven't got a lot to smile about any more!" I shout while storming off proceeding to hunt, Gale doesn't follow knowing that he needs to let me cool off. While I continue hunting my thoughts divert to Prim sitting at home wondering what she did wrong, I then make a promise to myself too apologize to her for my outburst.

After a while Gale finds me again and we act like nothing happened and continue hunting like we used to knowing each others every movement, moving in sync and also mouthing commands to each other. This is how I liked it being with my Gale in the woods and doing what we bond so much over. I am brought out of my thoughts by gale giving me a hand signal to stop so I do as he commands and I do as he commands, but I then turn on my heel for the second time today and release a arrow through the air where it hits my target right in the shoulder, I then let out a scream as I realise I haven't hit my target I have hit the opposite, Prim.

As soon as my arrow pierces her skin she stays silent and falls to her knees with a look of shock hanging on her features. At this very moment I had scooped her up in my arms and proceeded to manoeuvre my jacket off so that I could wrap her in it, after I had wrapped her in it I darted out of the woods with Gale following close on my heels. while running I had tears streaming down my face and was also whispering apologies in her ear. I started running even faster when I started to feel my top get wet from the blood that was seeping out of her wound, when we arrived at sae's house because she was the most qualified person I knew to handle this wound, I brought Prim in and laid her out on the kitchen counter under sae's orders. After a couple of minutes Gale arrived with another district doctor and he then escorted me out kicking and screaming obscenities at him. He then sat me down on a crate out the back of sae's house and sat down beside me holding me in his arms comforting me and helping me escape the reality that I may have killed the only person I'm sure that I loved and was trying to protect but had caused this through my own stupid fears. He continued to comfort me by rubbing my back through the embrace that I was sure I was never going to let go of, he then did the unexpected and comforted me by kissing me on the lips tenderly and warmly making me escape my horrendous reality that I could have taken away my little sisters future.