Author's Note: Hi all, so this chapter is kind of just the start I promise it gets better but I had to lay the groundwork. Basically the Rebellion is dwindling. This is based off of a girl named Oaklan who is also Gale's new love interest. I promise its less confusing and better than it sounds. Read and Review

The Fire I Need

There's this moment, when everything is perfect. Take now for example, I stalk my prey through the woods, knives at the ready. With one swift motion I throw the knife at the rabbit no doubt hitting it right through the eye like Gale says Katniss used to do.

Actually I used to hear a lot about her. When she first left, he was heartbroken. He had seen me hunt before and one day he just showed up on my territory. We've been hunting together ever since then.

A twig cracks behind me and two strong arms hold me tightly. I squeal in surprise.

"How did I ever manage to scare the all-knowing Oaklan?" Gale muses turning me around to face him.

Giggling I stand up on my tippy toes and wrap my arms around his neck.

"You," he pauses "Make me so happy." he whispers kissing me.

I pull away "More than Katniss did?" I ask raising my eyebrows at him.

"Katniss who?" he kisses me again.

"Come on I want to show you something," I whisper seductively in his ear "Betcha can't catch me" I add quickly running lightly through the woods laughing.

He catches me as we reach the soft grass of the clearing.

Suddenly I am being thrown over his shoulder as he spins around. We both fall to the ground laughing. I can tell he is actually happy. The dark hatred that normally clouds his eyes hasn't made an appearance yet today. I like him like this, happy and careless.

Laying my head in his lap I take his hands "You know what tomorrow is, right?" I ask sighing.

He knows what I am talking about right away. The reaping is tomorrow. I think he knows the crazy plan I have, or have had since my parents died.

"You're going to do it this year aren't you?" he simply asks cupping my face in his hands.

"Gale I have nothing, no family. All those other kids, they do. They have things to live for. Me, I've got nothing. I lost it all a long time ago." I whisper and he knows it's true.

My dad died in the mines and my mother drank herself to death a year later. After she died I started to train like a career would. I've taken care of myself since then, sleeping wherever I can, hunting, stuff like that. Other than Gale I don't really have anything to live for.

"You know what this means right?" His face stars to turn up as a smile tugs at the corners of his mouth.

"What?" I nervously ask unsure if I want to know the answer.

"I'm just going to have to tag along to keep you safe"

I sit up a little too fast "Gale you can't possibly even think that. You have things to live for, a life here" I gasp trying to win a battle I know isn't even worth fighting for. When Gale's fiery mind is made up, there is no changing it.

"Oaklan, you are my life" he whispers in my ear.

We sit in the meadow intertwined together until darkness falls and the winds pick up. I'm half asleep when he picks up the game bag, wraps his jacket around my shoulders and swops me up in his arms. He carries me to the fence and gets the both of us under with little difficulty.

"Where are you staying?" he asks me in a hushed voice as we reach the dirt roads of Seam.

"I hadn't exactly gotten that far yet" I reply tracing the lines of muscle on his chest.

"Just stay with me for tonight. I doubt you want to spend your last night here on the street." To that I can't argue. He walks carrying me in silence until we reach his house. Hazelle is singing to his siblings and I smile sadly. She is the kind of mother I always wanted but never got.

Gale pushes the door open and Hazelle gasps "Gale is she alright, she's not hurt right?" worry weaves into her sweet voice as she rushes to my side feeling my forehead.

"She's just tired mum, it's a big day tomorrow. Goodnight" he whispers kissing her cheek as he tromps towards the bedroom that he somehow managed to get on his own.

He lays me down on his small makeshift bed and reaches behind me to grab a pillow for himself on the floor.

"Gale, it's alright. I'd rather have you up here tonight" I contently say.

The smile he gives me is as big as the arena itself. He climbs in next to me and wraps those strong arms that fend off everything evil around me.

I get one night of happy peaceful sleep in.

When I wake up, sunlight is streaming through the windows and I silently curse Gale for letting me sleep so long. I sit up dazed and look around. Gale is sitting in his chair doing some busy work for school.

"Today is the day" I sigh going to his chest full of clothes and finding one of his shirts that I can pass for presentable in.

"I'm going to keep you alive if it's the last thing I do" he says and then laughs as if he is just getting the irony of what he said.

"Katniss won't like that" I whisper wrapping my arms around him from behind as he sits in his chair.

"Screw what Katniss likes" he laughs again "I'm getting my girl out alive whether the Mellark duo like it or not"

"What if I don't want to come back without you" I pout giving him the puppy dog eyes I perfected years ago.

"Then screw what you would like too" he says this time without the laugh.

Hazelle yells that we have thirty minutes to get ready and Gale asks to brush my hair. It seems strange but I guess it's kind of therapeutic for him. Somehow I managed to get the merchant colored blond hair but my dark eyes are definitely seam eyes. I don't mind, it just means that I'm a bit of everything and I like that.

When Gale finishes brushing my hair I tie it half back and we are rushed out the door by Hazelle who is beyond worried and nervous.

When we reach the Justice Building, I embrace Gale one last time and he kisses my forehead softly before sending me off with the other girls my age.

I stand as the sun burns hole through me. Mayor Undersee's speech takes terribly long and I find myself day dreaming about the Games most of the time through.

I only snap out of it when Effie walks across the stage. As usual she is way overdressed and overly excited for the task at hand.

She talks but I don't listen, my hand is on hers as she swirls it around and lands on a single name card in the reaping bowl. I know as soon as she pulls it out and reads the first name I'm going to volunteer and pray Gale has the sense not to.

Effie pulls her hand out dramatically and barely manages to get out the name "Primrose" before all hell breaks loose.