Peeta's POV

"I found her!" Gale shouts. I follow his voice and come to a stop right behind Gale. "Katniss" I gasp at the sight of her lying in a ball. Her cheeks turning purple around the edges around her mouth as if someone was holding their hand tightly over her mouth. I watch as Gale lifts her up gingerly but I can hear her whimper in pain. I cringe at her pain. Who would do this to her? I followed up the stairs to her room. Gale sets her down gently on the bed. And we're herded outside in the hall by her mother. We stood outside the door waiting for her mother to tell us what had happened to her. It wasn't a long wait. She walked out, shutting the door behind her

"She won't let me look at her. I don't know what happened. She has a few bruises on her face but I can't tell if there is more. I'll check on her tomorrow to let her rest. I'm going to ask Prim to get some herbs that'll help her sleep." She said as she made her leave.

"You don't think someone would have hurt her?" I ask

"I don't know? I hope not!" Gale answers as he walks into her room. I follow him in. I watch with a hint of jealousy as he kisses her cheek and says goodbye. He doesn't glance at me as he passes by me. I guess he's just as jealous as I am of him. It doesn't help that me and Katniss are supposed to marry in a few months, but her heart is still undecided between the both of us.

I walk closer to her side and sit on the floor next to her bed. I start to fall asleep as I leaned my head back against the wall. I wake when I hear her gasp and wake with a start. She looks at me in surprise and confusion then drifts back to sleep.

I stare back at her face and watch her cheek turn deep purple in the shape of fingerprints. The evidence was coming clearer to me just by that one single bruise that someone indeed hurt her. But who? And why?

She wakes again with a start and she finds my eyes with hers. We stare at each other saying nothing. I reach out and brush her hair off her face and tuck it behind her ear. I lightly touch the purple bruise on her cheek and she winces at the touch. "Sorry" I apologize as I take my hand away from her cheek. She reaches her hand out towards me and I take it gladly. I bring it up to my lips and kiss her gently. I smile at her and she looks away, but I could swear I saw shame filling her eyes. I knocked it off and pulled her hand closer so to examine it. Her wrist was purple as well. She flinches at my touch. I sigh and let it be.

I pet her hair back with my free hand, stroking her hair back off her face. She falls asleep to it and I just sit and watch her.

Once she was in a deep sleep I went down stairs to make her something to eat. I find Mrs. Everdeen making breakfast. I ask if she needs help and she declines so I sit at the table.

"How is she?" She asks.

"I don't know? She's asleep for now. I think someone did this to her, she has a bruise on her wrist and cheek. I think she has more injuries but she won't say." I answer.

She nods

"Has she said anything?" She asks.

"No" I answer.

Why would anyone hurt her like this? She's been through enough. Why her and who did this? Suddenly it clicked, Thread! No he wouldn't, would he? It's the only person who would dare to beat her. He could be still angry when she interfered with him whipping Gale. That must be it. Mrs. Everdeen looks at me with confusion

"What is it?" She asks.

"Nothing just thinking that's all"

"You have any idea who would do this?"

"Yes and no!" She nods and lets it drop.

I set a plate for Katniss and carry it back up to her room an hour or so later. I open the door to find Prim sitting in my spot. We coax her to eat a few bites of bread and drink the glass of water. It took us an hour to get her to do it but she finally gave in. once we were satisfied Prim leaves for school. I sit on the bed next to Katniss after her sister leaves.

"Katniss I'm not blind. I know someone hurt you, that much is evident; I'm assuming badly enough to cause you to act like this. You don't have to speak, just nod or shake your head." I explain. She nods in agreement.

"Was this person a man who hurt you?"

She nods.

"Was it someone you know?"

She nods.

"Is he from our district?" I ask even though I know the answer is no.

She shakes her head slightly.

"From the peacekeepers?" I ask after I swallowed down the lump that formed in my throat as I asked.

She nods with watery eyes as she started to tear up.

"Was it…was it…" She shakes her head too quickly before I asked, but I know in my heart it was him.

"Shh, it's okay!" I say as I cradle her in my arms.

She cries herself back to sleep I sit there playing and stroking her hair. There's something else she's hiding under this jacket that she refuses to take off. What could she be so scared of? Why does she look at me with shame in her eyes a few times when she would look at me? No he wouldn't that's beneath him. No he just beat her like he did with every other person that he found fault to be punished. But why didn't he just publicly punish her? Is it because he couldn't find evidence she has committed a crime? Thankfully he has no idea about her sneaking out to hunt a few weeks ago.

I leave her to get food for her and me and when she wakes again I'm lying down next to her. I sooth her back to sleep. I can't tell how badly she is hurt so I try to make her rest and heal. I feel her wake with a start. I must've fallen asleep because it's dark outside now.

"Shh it's alright." I say as I pull her closer to me.

"Peeta" She calls out.

"Yes" I answer.

"Thank you!" She says and cuddles back against me. I'm confused so I ask

"For what?"

"For being here" She answers.

"Always" I whisper against her ear. She falls back into a restless sleep.

I found that I sleep better when I'm with her, well more like I actually sleep. I haven't really slept since before my name was called to be the male tribute in the Hunger Games. The only time I have slept was when I was with her. After the games it was hard to fall asleep without seeing those images of Glimmer's eyes in that Mutt. The worst ones were seeing Katniss injured after getting that medicine that saved my life. Or my imagination would change to what if she had died. But when she asked me to stay with her and sleep with her on the Victory Tour, I actually slept dreamlessly with her sleeping next to me in my arms. The night we returned home was when I realized this. I couldn't sleep alone anymore. I finally fall asleep.

I awake the next morning gasping as the nightmare faded back into my subconscious. This one was different from my others, even though it was about Katniss; which most of my dreams are about. This one had Thread's face laughing while Katniss's screams are in the background. I run to find her but I can't find her all I hear is her screaming for me and Thread laughing at me. I look beside me and sigh with relief when I find her asleep next to me.

"She's okay!" I tell myself quietly.

Later that morning I am thrown out of her room so that her mother and sister can get her cleaned up. I pace and wait anxiously in the hall. I can hear them trying to convince her to change her clothes and clean up. Then the door opens and Prim is being ushered out by her mother.

"Let me take care of this, you go do your homework and start dinner." Mrs. Everdeen tells Prim, Mrs. Everdeen looks at me with fearful eyes. Before she goes back into Katniss's room. Prim goes downstairs like her mother told her to do and I can't help but follow Mrs. Everdeen in.

Katniss had her jacket off and stood there trembling in fear. Her shirt is unbuttoned all the way. I notice there are no buttons on the shirt anymore. Her arms are riddled with bruises. I walk closer and she panics.

"No don't touch me!" She screams.

"No one is going to hurt you!" Her mother says calmly. I look at her and her eyes held shame and fear.

I examine her body closer with my eyes and noticed the things I missed before. Her undershirt had a few rips in it and a few blood smears. Part of one breast was showing through the rip and the skin was purple. I realized only her breast were bruised but the rest of her torso wasn't so badly bruised. She had a few scrapes where the blood and ripped parts of the undershirt. Why is that only bruised and not the rest of her? If she was simply beaten wouldn't she have more injuries? Sure she's having trouble standing. She looks at me then turns her gaze away from me in pure shame.

"No" I gasp out loud. I meant to keep that inside my head rather out loud but it spilt out. She glances back up at me when I spoke.

"Let me have a minute with her please?" I ask her mother. She nods and walks out of the room. I listen for her to descend downstairs. I look at Katniss's face, trying to read it.

"Katniss, he raped you, didn't he." I state rather then ask. I already know the answer to this puzzle.

"Answer me?" I demand for confirmation. She simply nods with watery eyes. I cross the room towards her and pull her into my embrace. I bury my face in her hair as I tried to contain my own grief and keep the tears back.

"Who did this to you?" I ask even though I already know the answer.

"You already know who." She says in a low whisper.

"Thread" I say through clenched teeth.

"I don't want anyone to know. Please don't tell them?" She pleads.

"Katniss they need to know." I say.

"Please, I'm not ready." She pleads in a shaky voice.

"Your mother will figure it out when she helps clean you up." I remind her. She stiffens up at the reminder. She looks up at me

"Can you help me?" She asks with a blush. I look at her bewildered at her request. I start to blush as it sinks in. I've dreamt of seeing her naked in my arms many times. The blush deepens at the thought of her naked.

"Are you sure?" I ask cautiously.

"Yes" She answers. I nod and help her to the bathroom where the bath was already drawn. I sit her down on the toilet seat and turn around so she can finish undressing. I hear the rustling of the fabric as she takes them off. I hear her whimper as she undresses. I hear her start to get up and I turn just in time before she fell and caught her in my arms. I scoop her up and sat her in the water as I tried to contain my blush from creeping up as I tried to forget that she is fully unclothed in my arms.

I place her in the tub gently as possible and kept my eyes from wandering down her body. I caught a glimpse of her breast and I choked down a gasp when I saw them bruised. I turn and leave her so I could cool down.

I walk back into her room and sit on her bed. He raped her? I ask myself over and over again and each time it was harder to comprehend this information. She's only sixteen? He raped her! I think in anger now. How could anyone sink down to that level? She's still too young. That sick bastard. Calm down she needs you to remain calm. I tell myself as I calm myself down.

I hear her get out of the tub and I wait till she calls me to help her. After a few minutes I hear her call for me and I go to her. I walk in and notice her examining her underwear. It's caked in blood but that's not what she's looking at. I notice what it is; I'm not dumb I know what it is. I am a man after all. I growl at the sight of it. I can tell by her face she has no idea what it is. A low growl rumbles out of my throat.

"He came inside you didn't he." Again I state rather than ask. She looks back at me in confusion.

"I think so?" She says in a question. I watch as terror creeps into her eyes as she remembers that night. She starts panicking and I go to her.

"Shh, it's okay it's over now!" I assure her as I pick her up and carry her to the bed. I sit on the bed cross legged with her in my arms still. Laying her across my lap. I give a small smile and I comb my fingers through her wet hair as she cries herself to sleep. I hold her and comb her hair as she fell into a fitful sleep. She starts calling my name after an hour since she fell asleep. She begins to scream and thrash around on my lap.

"Katniss, Katniss it's okay. I'm here. It's okay." I say as I try waking her up. She still screams out my name.

"Katniss, Katniss I'm here." I say and she wakes up with terror in her gray eyes.

"He was here." She says in a panic.

"No he's not here. He never was here." I tell her.

"He said he had taken care of you and he came at me." She cries with hysteria in her voice.

"Katniss, he was never in here. I am fine I promise nothing will happen to you anymore. I'll always protect you." I explain calmly as I can. She looks at me then nods and lets my words sink in. She relaxes a bit and I give her a smile and hold her closer to me.