A/N You lucky people, tow chapters in TWO days! Who are you, and where's Ellie? I've just realised in the last chapter I put pneumonia where I meant hypothermia, but hey! What's the difference? Okay, maybe it's a big difference, I'm sure nobody realised anyway :) and cut me some slack, I was writing at half twelve :P

Chapter Four

"I'm sorry, I didn't know where else to bring her," A deep voice breaks through the confines of darkness.

"Why not to a hospital?"

"As soon as I mentioned it she started freaking out, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't urgent. Please, just help me."

"Fine, bring her in. Is that...? Katniss?"

"Those will need to be stitched, the bruising looks pretty severe, and her ankle. Jesus, why didn't you just take her there, she's hardly coherent. You would have been fine." The voice sounds familiar and urgent, but filled with so much pain. I preferred that darkness, it was peaceful, comforting.

"No, no hospital," I manage to mumble through the fog that has consumed me and prevents me from opening my eyes.

"Kat? Kat can you here me?" That's what he calls me, I don't want to be back. Too much pain.

"Is that, is that a hand print?"

"You're trash, that's all you'll ever be. You're lucky I keep you."

"Your family hates you. They never wanted you, that's why they don't call anymore."

"You deserve every bruise and break I give you, you whiny bitch."

"They'll never find out, I intend to keep you here for when I get bored and need a whore."

"Are you sure this is healthy, she's been out for over a day?"

"She's probably exhausted, there's no sign of civilization for miles from where you found her. She was probably out there for days. If you hadn't found her..."

"I know. Shouldn't we call her family?"

"When she left, they weren't exactly on the best of terms. I don't think it will help having them here."

Finally managing to break through the barrier between consciousness and delusions, I sit up from where I'm laying only to hiss from the tearing feeling on my back and the deep aches in my bones.

"Hello," I somehow manage to croak out although my throat feels as if it's burning.

No response. I squint my eyes to see if it makes my vision any clearer but it only serves to make my head spin. Slowly as my vision accommodates the darkness that engulfs the room seems to dissipate slightly. I sift through my brain attempting to remember what happened, Cato, plotting against him, escaping, running, collapsing, Cato's face, and then my mind draws up a blank.

No. No, no, no, no. He found me, after all I did, he found me. And I'm still alive. Why? Sharp, jerky breaths escape me until I'm clawing at my throat gasping for air I'm not receiving. A panic stricken cry bubbles from my throat, and shudders threaten to overtake my being. Suddenly a bright light fills the room along with a dark figure. I'm forcing my eyesight to return and straining my ears to hear what he's saying over my loud panting.

"Katniss, Katniss calm down," These reassuring words don't match my perception of Cato, "It's okay, you're safe," Why would he be comforting me. Then his arm is around my shoulders,, trying to pull me towards his body.

I lurch forward, my ankle giving out beneath me from the unexpected pressure, "No! Stay away!" I shuffle backwards until my back encounters something solid. A wall. He has me cornered now, there's nothing I can do except pull myself into a ball so no damage can be done to anywhere major- a technique I learnt early on in our time together, "Please," I whisper, hating that my voice cracks.

Another set of pounding foot steps rush into the room, "What's happening?" I force my eyes closed not wanting to witness another team beating, "What did you do, Gale?" The voice adapts a threatening tone that I cower away from, "Gale, what did you do?" He repeats again slowly.

"Nothing, I swear. I came in here and she was like this already."

Gale. Why does that name sound so familiar? I wrack my brain for any memory tied to that name, ignoring the quarrel between the two men, until I come up lucky.

I was seven and he was nine, we were sat in my back garden him teaching me how to make snares. He said they were to catch rabbits with, but I didn't want to have to kill a rabbit.

"Can't we just catch it and keep it in a cage? I want one as a pet, but Mummy said I'm not old enough! Please? We can share it and take turns to look after it! I promise, Gale," I pleaded, I'd been begging him for over an hour before he finally gave in.

"Fine, but you wont be able to tell your Mum."

"It'll be our secret!" I'd said excited at the concept of mine and Gale's very first secret, I remember thinking 'best friends have secrets, so that means we can be best friends'. I'd always wanted, even as a child, to fit in with the other kids but nobody wanted to be friends with the poor kid.

"Gale?" I murmured, looking up into those easily recognizable grey eyes tainted with flecks of black and silver. In that moment all I wanted was for this to be real, I'd pay any price, sacrifice my few belongings, "Is it really you?"

"Yeah, Katniss, it's me," He responded with a shy smile, to which I gave him a equally shy, teary one.

"I've missed you," My eyes eagerly took in his form, his dark brown hair that's always cut short, his broad shoulders and thin but bulky frame. The last time I saw him he was all gangly legs and arms. I desperately searched for some aspect of him that I recognised. His hands, he still had many scars due to hunting when he was younger. Seeking comfort in the fact that he still the same boy from when we were teenagers, I drew my attention back to his face and his furrowed brow. Immediately suspecting the worse I began to apologise, though I wasn't sure what for. But that only caused a scowl to appear on his face which, in turn, made me begin to shake all over again.

A throat clearing alerted us to the presence of another body in the room, I looked over and upon noticing the figure I shrank back into the wall and whimpered, a man with blue eyes and blonde hair stood in the doorway. All of my senses were alert as soon as I spotted him and that nagging voice in the back of my head begged me not to trust him, which was completely unreasonable seeing as I had just met him. But everything, from his toned frame right down to his big bulky hands, screamed danger and his blue eyes were too similar to Cato's.

"What's wrong?" The blonde man said in a sweet voice. Don't listen, don't reply. You'll only make him angry. It's just a ploy, he doesn't want Gale to know I'm not safe around him, "Kat?" He tried, seeing as I wasn't responding to him.

"Don't. Don't call me that," I snapped back. He's too much like Cato, I need to get away from here. His eyes darkened and he looked at me intently and I broke from his stare not wanting to see the anger and disgust that's directed at me, "Please, please, don't hurt me. I didn't mean it. You can do whatever you like to me, I don't care. Just don't hurt me."

"Peeta, I think you should go wait in the other room," Gale said. Thank God, Gale knows something is up with him.

When I heard the door close I finally looked up from the floor to see Gale sat across from me with his hands in his lap obviously trying to be less intimidating. The expression on his face told me I wasn't going to like the up coming conversation, "Katniss, what happened? I don't see you for four years, haven't spoken to you in three," I flinch at the pain in his voice, pain I caused. I don't want to hurt anyone, I don't want to be like him, "and then suddenly Peeta turns up on my doorstep with you, unconscious, in his arms, and then on further inspection we find scars, welts, bruises shaped like hand prints, I think you owe me an explanation."

He can't find out, not like this, nobody wants to be friends, much less know a broken and used person. I'll never be the same old Katniss that Gale knew, he took that away from me and I hate him for it. He's turned me into an unstable mess, but maybe, just maybe I can convince Gale otherwise. I don't want to lose my best friend- my only friend.

"I was hunting in the woods, and then, well I don't really remember what happened. Animal attack maybe?" Well, it does sound somewhat plausible and maybe he'll forget about the hand prints.

"Really?" He raises an eyebrow not buying it, "and what about that a minute ago," He waves his hands towards me and instinctively I flinch back. Having just proven that I wont be able to convince him I let my eyes fall to the ground and don't reply hoping against hope that he'll let it go.

"Katniss, please. I'm just trying to help."

"I don't want to talk about it," I reply pathetically, barely able to hide the fear in my voice.

"Was it-, was it him?" My lack of reply is enough of an answer for him, "God dammit," He booms and jumps to his feet. Instantly I go back into the fetal position and let out one long cowardly sounding scream, pretending to be ignorant to every part of my body that protests to the movement.

"I'm going to kill him. I will hunt him down and kill him, I don't care if I get put in prison," A knock on the door stops his rambling and I'm glad, because at that time he reminds me so much of Cato.

"Is everything alright?"

"Peeta, start the car, we're going out," Gale says in a tone I've never before heard him use before, and the only word that could describe it, is deadly.

Peeta walks into the room, cautiously looking at what's going on, his eyes spot Gale pacing and then turn to me and he looks worried, "Gale stop, you're scaring her," Gale doesn't listen though, "Gale you're making Katniss cry, look at what you're doing to her." Gale still fails to respond and continues seething on the spot. Peeta's eyes then turn to me and plead for something, I'm not sure what though. He keeps them locked on mine whilst he slowly starts walking to me with his arms by his sides.

"Katniss, I'm not going to hurt you I swear. I'm just going to take you into the lounge. We need to leave Gale to calm down, okay?" I don't take my eyes off him, following his every movement and tensing when he moves too quickly, "Do want to me to carry you, or can you walk?"

I barely manage to choke out a, "Walk,"

"Okay then, just ignore Gale, he'll be fine in a minute, Just follow me okay?" I hesitantly nod my head, trying not to upset him. I lift myself onto my feet using the wall to brace myself, then take a small step forward only to end up falling as I'm once again reminded about the pain in my ankle. Peeta reaches out his arms and prevents me from landing on my face, instantaneously I become rigid and squeeze my eyes shut. Peeta, upon realising what he's done loosens his hold, "I don't think you're going to be able to walk, I'm going to carry you but it will just be for a few seconds, the couch is right over there," He says gently, "Open your eyes Katniss, look it's just there, do you mind?" I look to see the couch just a few feet away and nod my head knowing I wont make it on my own.

I'm hesitantly pulled into his arms, and find the gesture less frightening than I thought it would be, then I'm deposited on the couch and Peeta sits on an arm chair opposite me.

"Thank you," I whisper, not sure on how I'll be received and sure I will not lay my trust with him yet or maybe ever. His smile is blinding. We sit there for a few minutes waiting for Gale to come out and I look around the room spotting pictures of me and Gale, and some of him with a large group of people.

"Katniss, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," I jump at Gales sudden reappearance, "It's just, look at what he's done to you, I'll never forgive myself for not coming after you. I knew something was wrong, but you were so happy," I scoff quietly.

"I really think you should call your Mum, Katniss," Gale looks remorseful, but what does he have to be sorry for?

"No." I say with confidence and my eyes widen noticing I've just disobeyed a direct order, "Sorry," I say quietly.

"I don't want to be pushy, but your injuries are pretty bad and there's nothing we can do, but your Mum's a nurse and there really is something she should tell you."

"I'm fine," An obvious lie that each part of my body can account for.

"You're really not, and I've only seen the obvious wounds so far," His impatience leaks through his calm tone so I agree fearing what he might do. He wont do anything, you know that. This is Gale you're talking to, your friend. That's another thing Cato managed to break, my trust. What are you supposed to do when you can't even trust your best friend?

"And there's something she needs to tell you, though I'm not sure if now is right time. We need to know exactly what happened to you first."

"Can't you just tell me? Please, I don't want to see her, she knew what would happen, tried to warn me but I didn't listen. I'm stupid, just like he said, he never lies, he was right about everything, I'm the worst daughter ever," Tears begin speeding down my cheeks and the hysteria in my voice is slowly rising, "Please, if you value my sanity, please just tell me," I beg, I'm not beyond begging, not anymore, "Please Gale."

I can see every thought clear as daylight on his face, and know when he resolve finally settles, "Okay," His shoulder sag and he hangs his head as if the weight of his next words pains him both physically and mentally. He takes one long breath before he continues on with the words that will unknowingly shatter my world and rid me of any hope and my only anchor to this world.

"Katniss," He says carefully, slowly, "A few years back, there was an accident and.." he hesitates for a few minutes, opening and closing his mouth, "Your Dad, he..." He finally looks to me, begging me with his eyes not to make him say it aloud. And then it hits me. The only thing that would leave Gale struggling for words.

Death.