Even though spring is on it's way, the early morning is still freezing and I shiver and breathe white puffs of smoke along my way, even with all my warm winter gear on. The wheelbarrow creaks and groans in protest as I push it around the outskirts of the District through the gravel and dirt.

Finally I get to where I am going, and there they are. Just where I last saw them. Up against the fence outlining the District, which is now being held up, and looking in need of a little love.

I take out the shovel, finding that after my little trek and in my weak state it is surprisingly heavy. Begrudgingly I start to dig up the earth around the dainty plants.

It takes a while, but I eventually manage to get five decent bushes of the scraggily Primroses out of the ground and into the barrow. I give them a light sniff and the fresh scent is somewhat replenishing. Immediately I cart them back to the Victor's Village and trudge feverishly to Katniss's house.

Around the corner I find the perfect spot, just under a window sill. Before I start, I take a brief look at her house. Not that I can really tell from looks, but it just feels empty. It's dark and all shut up. I set to work and start shovelling up chunks of dirt where I can plant the bushes. Very quickly I get too hot, the sun is starting to rise and with it so is the heat. I strip off my thick coat and push up the sleeves of the thin, creme coloured three quarter sleeve top I'm wearing with just a few buttons down the front.

Then I get straight back to digging. Even though I'm exhausted I know I have to get this done. Then we can both move on with our lives.

The dim light beginning to spread shows off the few faint burn scars that I have left on my arms and neck, especially my handcuff rubs. In the silence of the pale morning the scrapping of the shovel echoes around the village.

It carries on like this for a few minutes before suddenly I can hear a faint shuffling inside her house. Then the front door slams and there she is. Whipping around the side of the house. I did not expect her to come out. That was not part of my plan.

Katniss looks wild from her rush to get out here. Eyes wide, pupils massive. Her skin is grubby. She is skinny, so skinny. Skinnier then I have ever seen her. She looks like a skeleton. Her greasy, pale skin clings to her cheekbones and she has large, puffy, purple bags under her eyes and beneath the thin shawl she has wrapped around her I can see all her bones sticking out. Generally, she just looks dull. The sparkle has gone from her eyes and her features show sadness.

I can tell from the mixture of shock and surprise on her face that she wasn't expecting to see me here either and she has been pulled up short.
"You're back." She gasps after a few seconds.
I straighten up on my knees and wipe the thin sheen of sweat on my forehead with my forearm. "Doctor Aurelius wouldn't let me leave the Capitol until yesterday." I explain. "By the way, he said to tell you he can't keep pretending he's treating you forever. You have to pick up the phone." I add pointedly. I'm not really sure what else to say to her.

I have another proper look at her and frown at the sight, feeling concerned for her well being. She notices and makes a half hearted attempt to push her hair out if her eyes, until she realises that it's matted into clumps on her head and she wraps the shawl around her middle tighter, defensively.
"What are you doing?" She asks.
"I went to the woods this morning and dug these up. For her." I say hesitantly. "I thought we could plant them along the side of the house."

She looks at the plants properly for the first time and her face registers shock. For a moment, she looks furious and she opens her mouth and glares at me like she going to scream at me. I flush with worry. But then suddenly she collects herself in realisation. She gives me a gentle nod of assent before she hurries back into her house.

My mouth drops open and I frown at her sudden departure. She looked like she was about to cry. Confused and worried, I rush around after her to her front door before I can think about what I'm doing.
"Katniss?" I call. "Katniss wait-" I start before she slams the door behind her in my face. Then I hear the click as it locks.

Oh no. What have I done? Is she angry or mad? Is she just really sad?

I can't end our relationship like this.

"Katniss! Open the door please!" I shout as I thump against the hard wood. "Katniss! Come on! I'm sorry, please!"

It's no use. She's not coming out. I hear a crash and judging from where it came from I'd say she has gone to hide upstairs.

I rest my head against the door and groan in frustration. "Ugh, what have I done?" I mutter to myself as my hand slides down the wall.
"God, anyone would think you guys have just been through a serious fight." A familiar voice slurs.
I start and look up to my right to see Haymitch leaning over his moss covered fence. Bottle in his hand and gawking at me.
"Didn't you see? We just did!" I growl angrily.
"What?" He exclaims flabbergasted. "No, Peeta, she loved it. That's perfect. She just doesn't know how to cope with it. You know what she's like, she hates showing her emotions." He says more calmly.
I furrow my brow in concentrated thought. "Whatever Haymitch." I mutter dismissively as I start to leave.

I give up. Any small connection that remained between Katniss and I after my hijacking has been fully severed by now. But it's for the best I guess.

"No! Peeta wait!" Haymitch shouts.
When I turn back abruptly, he is leaning so far over the fence after me that he's nearly falling. He motions with his finger for me to come back and when I do he grabs ahold of my shirt in a somewhat aggressive manner. I flinch, reminded of the way I was treated in the Capitol. Thankfully, he loosens his grip and steps back a bit, but he keeps staring me right in the eye.

I try to divert my gaze uncomfortably but he keeps following it. He's so close and I can smell the alcohol on his breath and the way that he hasn't showered on his unkempt clothes.

He leans in close to my ear but he still speaks loudly.
"Peeta, she needs you. Please help her. Just reach out to her. That's the most she's spoken or moved since we came back. For a second, that's the happiest she has looked in a long time. These Primroses are a really good idea, my boy." He begs me and pats me on the back encouragingly at the end.

How long were you watching us? I think to myself slightly freaked out.

I look back at her house doubtfully. Suddenly the frustration just gets to me. Deep down, now that I've seen her I know there is something in me that wants to help her, but another part of me knows that me helping her could turn out worse for her.
"I can't Haymitch! I'll hurt her! I couldn't live with myself if I did that again! She'd be better off if I just left her alone." I exclaim.

He looks at me with a pained expression. He knows exactly what I'm talking about and he has no argument.
"Look." He huffs. "Just please finish planting those bushes." He sighs.
I nod with a groan. "Fine."
"Thank you." He smiles.

Just as I'm heading back to my work I hear him utter under his breath.
"You'll come around, you'll realise. Don't worry." He murmurs.

I frown and role my eyes.

He doesn't understand!

"You don't get it Haymitch do you?" I shout back at him. "I won't come around, because I do realise. I'm never going to be normal again! I'm always going to have this tendancy to snap and go mutt and it's just to risky being around her! She's better off without me." I say the last part in a lower tone.
"Peeta." Groans Haymitch. "We want to help you. She can help you. You guys can help each other." He says begging me. "You will get better." He adds in encouragingly.
I don't say anything.
"Come on Peeta, please." He huffs. "I don't want to loose you again, both of you. I'm only just starting to get you back." He says like it's hard for him to get out. "You mean a lot to me, you know?"
I'm shocked by his sudden urgency and intensity. "Okay Haymitch, I'll try. I'm sorry." I mumble as I lean down to the wheelbarrow again. Although I'm not really sure if I meant what I just said.
"That a boy." He says triumphantly. Even though I'm not facing him I can picture the crooked grin on his face.

I stay frozen, bent over the dirt until I hear his footsteps crunch back across the gravel and hear his door shut. Then I get back to planting. Considering how long it was taking before, it seems to be a lot quicker of a job now. Probably because my frustration makes me stronger and more determined. Plus I just really want to get out of there.

In no time all five bushes are planted neatly under her windowsill. Immediately I take the wheelbarrow and shovel and head back home. I set the wheelbarrow down just by the steps to my back door and I'm just about to head back inside when I have the sudden urge to look back at Katniss's house.

I peer down the back behind Haymitch's house to Katniss's and I can just see the back of her place. It looks very much like mine except now I can see the ragged looking Evening Primroses poking around the corner. They look a little parched.

I should probably water them. I think, wanting to go closer to her house.

I grab a bucket that I find half hidden under a bush and go to the hose tap on my back wall. When I turn it on it sputters out rusty water for a few seconds before it pours cleanly. Once the bucket is full, I lug it out around the front of my house, past Haymitch's, and disappear back down the side of Katniss's. I chuck the bucket over the plants and am just heading back down her path when I stop in my tracks and turn around.

I should probably check on her.

I'm at her front door in a flash. My knuckles hovering over the wood.

Wait, what am I doing?!

She doesn't want me here. Feeling slightly embarrassed I quickly rush back into my own home. Just as I'm shutting the door I see a figure walking down through the village. Curiously, I run to my window to get a better look.

It's Greasy Sae. She's going into Katniss's house. I guess that's what Haymitch meant by she's taking care of a few things around here.

I notice that it's getting light out by now. Yellow and blue streaks paint the sky. I wonder what the time is. I have to take my meds at 8am.

Crap! What is the time? It must be getting close to 8am. I rush around the house looking for working clocks only to find that they are all out of batteries, seriously. I do the first thing that I can think of.

I quickly walk back to Haymitch's house and walk straight in. Desperate to know and not wanting to waste anytime.
"Haymitch!" I shout. "Haymitch where are you?"
A grunt comes from his lounge and when I look in there I see him lying across a couch. He looks up at me slightly annoyed and clearly drunk. Well that escalated quickly.

"What do you want kid?" He grunts, looking up at me.
"What's the time?" I state.
"Why?" He shoots back.
"Tell me the time please." I say urgently.
"Ugh, you've got to be kidding me. Just check your own clocks?" He sighs.
"They're all out of batteries." I point out impatiently.
"So, why do you need to know the time so desperately?" He exclaims.
"I just, I have something to do." I stutter hesitantly.
"And what is that?" He presses.
I really don't want to have to admit this but he's just not going to give up.
"I have to take my medication okay!" I snap.
He looks at me slightly shocked for a few seconds before he speaks again.
"Oh. Check in the kitchen." He huffs guiltily. "And feel free to take some batteries from the drawer while your at it." He points in that direction.
"Thank you." I mumble, breathing a sigh of relief.

I shuffle into the kitchen, looking for the clock. Sure enough, just as I thought, it reads 7:54. I'll need to get going quickly. I rummage through a few of Haymitch's drawers until finally at the very bottom of the last drawer I check, there is a pack of AA batteries. I grab them and jog back down the hall past where Haymitch lounges on the sofa.
"Bye Haymitch." I call as I shut the door, not even waiting for a reply. I doubt there would be one anyway.

When I get back to my house I'm surprised to see Greasy Sae waiting at the front door holding a plate. I'm surprised. I don't remember ever talking to her, I don't even know what to call her.
"Um, hi Sae." I greet her as I make my way up the steps.
"Ah Peeta! I heard you were back. I didn't think you'd have any food in your house so I figured I might as well make you some breakfast too." She beams in a rattly voice and holds out the old white plate to me.
I look at it. Eggs on toast. I hadn't thought about breakfast.
"Thanks Sae." I smile as I sniff the yummy scent.
"I came over but you weren't home, I thought the rumours might have been fake then." She says concerned.
"Oh no." I chuckle awkwardly. "I'm back, I just needed some batteries." I explain, tapping the packet in my hands.
"Ah, I see. Well I'm being sent to District 11 today to run some errands and get some supplies if you need anything?" She asks me kindly.
I'm about to decline her offer when I realise that I will need something in my pantry. I say the first thing that pops into my mind. The thing most familiar to me.
"Hm, could I please get some flour and yeast?" I ask.
"Sure." She smiles. "I'll bring it over later."
"Thank you so much." I bid her.
"Bye now." She waves as she hobbles down the steps.

I rush inside and straight to the kitchen. Messily I rummage through my pills until I find the morning ones. I fill up a glass of water and pop one antidepressant and two mind calmer's in my mouth and swallow them back with the water. I then sit down and scoff back the delicious eggs that Greasy Sae made me, not realising how hungry I was. Then again, I haven't eaten since I got home. How kind of Sae when we hardly know each other.

By the time I have finished, both the medication's effects and the stress and exertion of my early morning have taken their tole on me. I'm absolutely exhausted, shaking and dizzy with a headache. I feebly make my way to the couch in the front room where I curl up in a ball and instantly fall asleep.

I wake hours later with a jolt. It looks to be about mid afternoon. Those meds really knocked me out this time. Drowsily, I move into a sitting position, stretch my stiff limbs and give a big yawn. Through blurry eyes I look around me and mess up my hair with my hand. What can I do now?

Looking down, I realise that I'm still in the exact clothes I wore when I left the Capitol. Minus the coat, scarf and gloves, which actually I need to go retrieve from where they still are bundled up in the wheelbarrow out the back. Plus, after this morning my clothes are all dirty. I should have a shower.

I stumble outside and grab the coat and stuff before taking it inside. Upstairs I strip off the clothes and put everything in a pile just outside the door to my bedroom ensuite bathroom.

As I walk over to the shower I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Skinny, scarred, pale and weak. Big black bags under my dull blue eyes. Seriously, how did everything change so much. I look down at my prosthetic leg. The shiny silver metal and the white plastic weaving their way down the mechanical thing. And I thought that was the only permanent reminder I'd have from my time in the Hunger Games. Little did I know the nightmares and all the more pain that were to come with it. The Games and the war have seriously taken their best shot at me and Katniss, even Haymitch too.

Before the memories come flooding back I turn on the shower and step under the warm water. Leaning my head against the wall, I let it trickle down over my head and the rest of my body, trying to get myself to relax in the heat.

That's when i hear the shouting start.