I do not own the Hunger Games

Peeta goes downstairs to call my mother about my back while I lie helplessly on our bed, my cheek glued to the pillow as my arm dangles over the edge of the bed.

I huff in frustration.

I feel too vulnerable lying on the bed like this, and desperately want to get up and move. I'm not used to being the injured patient.

A few agonizing minutes later, the door creaks open. I lift my eyes to see Peeta standing in the doorway, his blonde locks outlined by the hallway's bright lights. He crosses the room and sits on the bed next to me, staring at my back with the eyes of a concerned parent.

"What did she say?" I ask.

He sighs and finally looks at my face. "She's coming over now," he replies, a hand flying up to run through his hair. "But when I tried to describe it to her, she didn't sound very optimistic."

So my suspicions are correct. I've seriously screwed up this time, and seriously hurt myself by doing so.

"I'm sorry, Peeta," I groan into the pillow, clenching my eyes shut so I can't see the pained look on his face.

"Katniss, how many times do I have to tell you?" He lets out a strained chuckle, despite the grim mood. "We all make mistakes, its part of being human." I open my mouth to object, but Peeta changes the subject before I can get a word out. "Anyways, are you hungry? You haven't eaten since this morning."

I suddenly notice my growing hunger at the mention of food. As if on cue, my stomach lets out a strangled growl.

I see Peeta's lips crack a smile. "I'll take that as a yes," he says. He leans down and plants a tender kiss on my forehead before standing up and leaving the room. I can't help but smile when I hear his loud, heavy footsteps thump down the stairs, reminding me once again at how bad he is at walking quietly.

One plate of cheese buns and half an hour later, I hear a quiet knocking from downstairs. Peeta leaves my side to answer the door, and I soon hear the tender voice of my mother. A minute later, I see him open the door to our room, my mother's petite frame close behind. Her eyes flicker to meet mine before I quickly avert my gaze, looking anywhere but her face.

A chill sweeps through the room, causing the skin of my forearms to become a valley of goose bumps.

"I'll leave you two some privacy," Peeta says, making his way towards the door. I shoot him a glare, but he just raises his eyebrows before closing the door behind him.

My mother nervously walks to the side of the bed before setting a bag on the table next to her. The bag clinks as she sets it down, indicating that it contains jars of medicine or healing supplies.

"I'm going to take a look, ok?" I hear her say, her words coming out in timid syllables.

I give a subtle nod in response, my eyes glued to the wall in front of me. Her hands flutter over my skin, pulling the nightgown across the pane of my back and leaving me clad in my panties. I feel a flash of embarrassment before I remember that it's my mother.

Her sharp intake of breath makes me look up. Her eyes are glued to the small of my back, where the bruises lay. However, a second later, I see her face take on the same look it did when Gale had been whipped and brought to our kitchen table.

Determination.

Healing instincts in play, my mother stands up straighter and begins rummaging through her bag, finger nails clinking against the glass jars. She finally chooses one, taking it out and gently setting it on the table before turning back to me.

"Tell me if this hurts," she instructs. I feel her fingers on my back, pushing against the skin around the bruises. She moves her fingers, testing different spots for pain.

I don't feel any pain until she presses the spot right above my tailbone. A searing pain, not much different from the sensation of being burned, explodes from the spot, slowly ebbing through my being. I let out a hiss in pain, my fingernails scratching against the sheet. "There," I say through clenched teeth, my mind momentarily distracted as I realize it's the first word I've said to her in over a month.

"Just as I thought," I hear her mutter before she leans over and unscrews the lid off the jar she pulled out earlier. Her fingers scrape at the sticky green gel in the jar before she turns back to me. I let out a sigh in relief as she spreads the gel around the spot, immediately cooling the skin down. The familiar scent of rosemary drifts through the air, undoubtedly coming from the gel.

After applying the gel, my mother stands back up, wiping her fingers on the edge of her dress. "Good news; you're going to be fine," she says. My gaze creeps up to meet hers and I finally look her in the eye for the first time in forever. "Just make sure you apply this gel every day," she continues, picking up the jar and screwing the lid back on with pale and nimble fingers. "And don't move too much, of course. That means no hunting for at least a month."

I see the slightest smile form on her face when I sigh in defeat.

Her eyes leave mine when she turns to pick up her bag of medicines. "Well, I'll be going now. Try not to fall out of any more trees, Katniss," she says with the tiniest smirk on her face. "Peeta was really worried."

She turns around and heads towards the door, her long cotton dress swishing around her legs. And suddenly, a feeling of dread overcomes me. A feeling that feels all too familiar. A feeling that I experienced when Peeta hit that force field and his heart stopped.

I felt as though I was going to lose him for good.

And now, I feel as though I'm going to lose my mother for good.

As invisible hands begin clawing at my chest, my jaw opens and my mind begins searching for something, anything to say that will keep her here. A voice in my head is screaming at me that I can't let her leave, not yet.

"Thank you," I choke out, the letters scratching against my tongue.

She stops in her tracks, but doesn't turn around. I see her shoulders slump.

"I'm sorry." Her voice is so quiet I barely hear her words. She turns around to face me, her eyes coated with a glassy look. Her hand flies up to her face to cup her cheek. "I'm sorry, Katniss," she says again, louder this time. "I've been such a horrible mother to you, all these years, burdening you with all sorts of responsibilities. And once you're actually happy, I come around and tell you you're wrong. I just… I want to hit myself for it, looking back."

I'm silent for a long time. I hadn't expected her to burst out with such an apology, and now my brain feels like it's frozen in thought. I feel my eyebrows furrow together as I try to make sense of what she said. I finally respond.

"I appreciate your apology, I really do," I say slowly. "But I don't understand. Why didn't you want me to be with Peeta? Why were you so against it?"

She sighs before responding. "I saw myself in your place. My own daughter in a relationship with the son of my first love; I mean, how could I not? It was like watching a recap of my past," she said, shaking her head. "I couldn't grasp the fact that you were you, not me."

And suddenly, everything clicked into place. It wasn't that she didn't like me being with Peeta; it was that she thought history was about to repeat itself. At the sound of my father's singing, my mother had dropped Peeta's father in an instant, leaving Mr. Mellark to marry that witch Peeta had to call his mother.

My mother is scared I'll do the same.

I shake my head from my position on the bed. "I won't leave him mother, I can't," I say, feeling my eyes grow slightly wet. "Just the idea of it puts me at loss for words. I love him," I continue, my last three words coming out quieter, making me mentally cringe. I'm not used to saying that to other people.

I see a small smile overtake the sad look on my mother's face. She puts her bag down and sits next to me on the bed. "I know you do, and I'm sorry it took me so long to realize. I'm so sorry, and I hope you can forgive me so I can be your mother again," she says with a hopeful tone.

"I'd like that," I say in a small voice, feeling a small smile form on my own face.

A/N: Ahhh! I'm sooooooo sorry this took so long but I'm just so busy and ugh school.

Review and tell me what you think of the chapter! Also, tell me what you want more of in future chapters! I'm lacking ideas, so I need your guys' opinion!