Song of the chapter: "Hurricane." By Luke Combs.

"Posy!" I screech shuffling towards her as her small body jumps into my arms. Just as I think in about to fall, Gale's body is there to catch me. I look up and smile. Thanks. I mouth, he nods and I kiss Posy's head before I see Hazel. "Hazel." I smile setting Posy down and hugging her. "Hi mama."

"Hey baby girl." She breaths into my neck. "I feel like it's been ages."

"It's only been hours." I tease. Rory and Molly smile and hug me, I squeeze Rory a few seconds longer than anyone.

"Well let's head inside." I see Peeta poking his head out from the window, my face drops and I turn away. Rory grabs my hand and swings it happily.

"I saw her today." He says. "And I talked to her, and spent all day with her. I bought her a ring, and pushed it in the dirt next to her. I hope she noticed it." He says with his tone lowered.  He looks at me as we stop abruptly on the porch. "Do you ever miss her so much it hurts?" He asks. "Like something or someone is just squeezing the life out of your entire body?" He squeezes his hands in balls.

"Everyday." I answer honestly.

"How do you get through it?" He asks sitting down on the swinging chair fiddling with his hands in his lap.

"Well, I've found that your brother seems to help." He looks at me with wide eyes.

"But how? .... Why would you? ... I don't understand." He plants his face in his hands and shakes them in sync.

"Well, when you love someone you can seem to be able to overlook everything." I say, and close my eyes looking into the distance. I wish I could get myself to believe that, that I could forget what he did. I wish I could to be with Peeta.

"I loved your sister like that." He tells me, and I nod tears forming in the corners of my eyes. He takes my hands. "Don't cry, It'll all be okay. People say all things happen for a reason and ..."

"You can't seem to find a reason for her death, I know. I've heard it before." I finish his sentence remembering all the times I've been told that before. He looks like he's to break, so I stand and pull him with me. "Let's go inside and see what everyone else is doing, huh?" I ask cheerily.

He nods slowly and we walk in the door together. Gale smiles when he sees me from his spot on the floor beside Posy. I take a seat next to him, he wraps an arm around me and Hazel sits on the couch. "So, any special reason you two invited us over?" She asks with a smile creeping onto her face.

Instead of answering, Gale rotates his body and holds my face kissing me slowly. His mother erupts in a fit of giggles and cheers before clapping. "Oh I knew it would happen! I just new!" She squeals. "I'm so happy for you two."

"Thank you mom." He smiles proudly.

***

Dinner went smoothly. We are together, and Gale held my hand under the table. And kissed me each time his mother looked away. Rory seemed happy, but confused. "No, but that might have been my very favorite time we ever spent together." Hazel smiles pointing her fork in our direction. "You two were so young."

"I actually did try to cook decently that day, compared to what everyone seems to think about it." I chuckle glaring at Gale.

"What?" He laughs. "I didn't say-"

"You said it was terrible." I cross my arms over my chest in a playful manner.

"I didn't-"

"But I guess I can forgive you!" I say pushing him to the side. "But that's cause I love you."

He doesn't say anything, just smiles and shakes his head. "I love you too." He says just loud enough for me to hear him.

Knock Knock Knock.

The door stops all conversation, I look towards Gale. "I'll get it." I say and walk towards the door. I open it and jump a bit, my eyes waver towards Gale for a second before he goes to stand.  I shake my head and step onto the porch. "I'll be back in in a second!" I call to my family inside. I step into the porch, and groan. "What do you want Peeta?" I ask angrily.

"I didn't want anything, just to see you." His honest answer sends showed down my spine and his fingers graze my hip as he touches my waist.

"Peeta, you can't be here right now!" I say sternly ducking so we move from the view of the window. "We're having a family dinner in there." I say.

"So your with him?"  He asks. "What about us? Katniss what about what happened today! Doesn't that mean anything to you! I love you, I thought that's all you wanted since you've came back!" He says raising his voice hysterically.

"Peeta!" I shriek. "Of course I've wanted that." I say lowering my voice. "But now I'm not so sure, because Gale was there for me when you weren't. When your fiancé stabbed me in the chest and you stayed home to help and take care of her; Gale was there to sit by my bed day after day in the hospital. But you've done that before. But that was back when you loved me, wasn't it? Right after willow's birth, and you were so caught up in her you didn't even know you couldn't and didn't love me. That's it isn't it? You still don't know you can't and won't ever be able to love me. You told me yourself you don't trust yourself around me. So let's just let it go Peeta, that's it. We're done."

Tears stream down his face. "Don't leave me please, you said always. And I thought that meant something between us. Didn't it?" He asks just barely able to speak. His throat makes insane, chocking noises as he stands on my porch.

"Peeta, neither of us are safe from each other. We won't ever be. Don't you understand that?" I ask, I see Posy looking through the window. "Okay look, I'll meet you like you've asked me to. We'll talk there, alright." He nods.

"Thank you so much Katniss."

I nod. "Now get out of here."

***

I walk back inside, my body collides with Gale's in his. "Hey, what did he want? Did he bother you? I can talk to-"

I cut him off with my lips on his. "Everything is fine, he just wanted to see how I was doing."

"Okay." He nods again. He leads me into the living room, once there he sits on the couch and I take my place in his lap.

"Gifts!" Posy sputters. I look to Hazel.

"We brought gifts." Hazel clarifies.

"Oh you didn't have to do that." I smile looking at Gale who's head is behind me. "I have some stuff in the closet upstairs, I'll go get it."

He nods, kisses the side of my head and I stand. My feet carry me up the stairs, into the back closer I never use. I sit down on my knees and id through boxes and boxes of stuff. "Aha!" I gasp when I find the box I want, it's full of presents I bought for Gale's before the war. I sit on the bed, in front of the mirror, I see my cheeks are fuller, and I look healthier in general. Maybe being with Gale, and without Peeta is doing me some good.

I slowly open the box, and my heart sinks as I look in it. My breaths are extremely ragged, and my chest is tight. In my box, is all of the things I deemed memorable; the items dating from between the 74th hunger games, to the end of the rebellion.

The first thing I pull out is my father's round picture, it's the original. We have copies downstairs and with my mother, wherever she may be.

The next is that locket, the one that instantly makes me sob. It's a loud sob, sounding like a strangled animal cry. I remember the good Peeta, the one who have me this locket and declared to protect me even if it meant him dying. The pure Peeta who loved me more than anything. I find the pearl, which emits the same reaction and emotions from my sobbing figure.

But I shake the box and hear still one more thing in there. So I dig my fingers in it, and feel a sharp prick and gasp. When I look at my fingers, I see my ring finger is smeared with blood, I wipe it away quickly. I pick up the item, my fingers being pricked again but not as hard. I scream, I throw it against the floor and crawl onto the bed trying to get  as far away from it as I can.

A white rose.

The scent drags into my nose, as I scream more. I burrow under the covers and cover my head with a pillow, screaming for him.

"PEETA! PEETA HELP ME." I scream as loud as I can. Everyone has to be able to hear me from downstairs, everyone in the district should be able to hear me now. My door flies open and Gale appears, a panicked look on his face as he comes close to me. He moves closer to me trying to hold me. "STOP LET GO. GET OFF." I scream, pushing away from him.

That's when Peeta bursts through the door, he doesn't hesitate to rush to me. He holds me tight as the door opens and clicks telling me Gale has left. Peeta rocks me gently, not letting me out of his arms. "Your okay Kat, I promise. I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

"Thank you." I breath. He kisses the top of my head and looks towards the door. "Gales gonna be mad at me." I whimper.

"You can't help it." He tells me.

"No, but I was rude to him and he'll think I can control what comes out of my mouth."

"It'll all be okay Katniss, I promise."