Authour's note:

hey this is the first chapter pf my first fan fic, i would really like it if you guys reviewed it because i would love you hear you comments! good or bad! I really do hop you enjoy reading this fan fic as much as i have enjoyed writing it :) i have put this into paragraphs but the computer messed them up so im sorry about that and i'm also sorry to the gale fan's but you never know gale and katniss might end up together! :)

please review and enjoy :)

p.s on word this is about 5 and 3/4 pages xx

Chapter 1- The Morning Of The Reaping

Katniss POV-

'RUN! Please run Dad!'
I wake up thrashing and screaming, sweat dripping down my face as my eye's begin to water, I reach out for the warmth and comfort from Prim that I deeply desire, but her side of the bed is cold and empty.
I sit up and lean against the head board and continue to silently whimper to myself, finally I pull my self together.
I gaze across the room to the little gap in the curtains where the dim morning light dances into the room.
The bed from across the room catches my eye, there they are peacefully sleeping. Wrapped together in a loving embrace. I can barely see Prim's face because it's buried in my mother's chest.
I never noticed this before mother looks younger when she is asleep, not much younger but less worn and more happy.
I decide to get up, so I swing my legs round and quietly stand up, desperately trying not to wake them. The wooden floor is fairly cold but I'm used to it.
I walk across the room to a small chest of drawers, on the top a pair of trousers and a gray shirt, I put them on. I tiptoe to the door before remembering my jacket, quickly I grab my jacket off the rocking chair, which makes a louder noise than intended.
As If on cue, Prim's body pops up!
'where you going?' she says while rubbing her eyes,

'just going to get game, I'll be back soon though' I say trying to keep quiet.

'will you sing to me first?' she says in a sweet but quiet tone ' I
had another nightmare'.

'sure' I say with a giggle that only prim can bring out of me then I begin singing the only song I can remember

Deep in the meadow
Under the Willow
A bed of grass,
A soft green pillow
Lay down your head …

Prim starts to sing along and I lose myself in the moment,
All it took was for my mother to roll over and I back to my senses.

' sorry Prim I really have to go, but you remember that song and you sing it, okay?' I try to say this in the nicest way I can but in her eyes I can see that her heart sinking. 'okay' she says and then as if nothing had happened she carries on the song.

I make for the front door, I pull my soft leather hunting boots off the rack and as I lace them up I hear 'hiss' and there before me is the worlds ugliest cat, Buttercup.

'I'll still cook you' I say with a stern voice as I slam the door behind me.

I start to walk to the meadow, a journey I could walk with both eyes shut.
There is normally a crowd of miners going to work at this hour but because it's reaping day and the reaping isn't until 2, why not sleep in?, if you can.
I get to the fence in no time and as always listen for the 'hum' the tell me that the fence is alive. The fence was put up to keep wild wolfs and bears out of the district, for the safety of the people and it's meant to be electrified full time but we only get 2 maybe 3 hours a month if we are lucky.
Never the less I listen for the 'hum', all clear.
And I crawl through the hole in the fence, once I'm a few feet into the woods I retrieve my bow from the trunk of a nearby tree and my arrows from a hollow log.
I travel quickly and quietly to mine and gales spot, on the way I shot 2 fat rabbits and a squirrel. I wait patiently for him to come.

'Hey Catnip' says a familiar voice form behind the blueberry bush. 'Gale' I say and without even thinking I jump up and wrap my arms around his neck, we spin around in circles until…Thump! We fall to the ground with dizziness and laughter.
We lie there for what feels like a hour but I know it's only been a few minutes.
Gale sits up and clears his throat ' So did you catch anything on the way up here? I got a rabbit, and I set up a few snares for us to check later'…'. he starts to go on and on about stuff but I'm not really listening I just lay there looking up at the blue skies wishing I could stop time and stay here forever 'It's so beautiful' I whisper to myself.
Gale begins to laugh ' What a girly thing to say!' I sit up and punch him in the arm playfully ' I am a girl!'.
We both start laughing and Gale starts to hit me back before I know it we are rolling around hitting each other, play fighting, We haven't done this since we were children. Finally Gale manages to pin me down
We just stay like this looking into each others eyes, not moving. We are both breathing really heavily when…
Gales starts to lean in and I know what is going to happen next… a kiss… but no, we are friends nothing more and gale should know that by now that I'm with Peeta and I love him or at least I think I do, as I think about Peeta and our relationship I nearly forget Gale is leaning in to kiss me.

So I used all my strength and roll away and stand up then I start taking about hurrying up and how we had to move quick if we wanted to get good game and trade before 12,

He catches up with me and we start to gather some blueberries from the bush. At first all it's all very quiet and I start to think I wonder how many times gale's name is in the reaping ball today and before I know it just blurts out ' Gale, how many times is your name in the reaping today?'
He looks up briefly and mumbles '42'
My mouth drops and the only thing I think of saying is 'oh' it must sound so heartless and like I don't care when the truth is I actually don't know what to say.
I just keep quiet and try and avoid conversation.
I look into his eyes and I can see clearly in his eyes fear, sadness and more importantly heart break, he must feel rejected from before, but he deserves it!
I try and convince myself and in the end I move the thoughts to the back of my head and begin to make small talk.
About half an hour later we sit down I break the silence ' so we have got my mothers herbs, some strawberries, loads of blueberries and fish, we are doing pretty well this morning, yeah?' I look up for his approval ' I guess so' he says in a far away voice.
' Oh before I forget' he says as he pulls a loaf of bread from his game bag.
My hands grab the bread in disbelief ' oh my god, is it real?'
'Better be! It cost my a squirrel' he says with a light chuckle, he gets out his knife and cuts the loaf into slices. He picks up a slice of bread and a handful of berries and passes them to me, I stare at the food like I hadn't eating in weeks 'thank you'.
' your very welcome' he picks up a berry from the pile ' happy hunger games, and may the odds…' he tosses the berry high up in the air and catches it in his mouth '… be ever in your favour!'.
We both start laughing and then eat the whole loaf, Gale eats the grapes in one mouthful but I try to save mine, eating them one by one, letting each one burst with flavour on my taste buds.
'we better go, if we want to Trade some of this stuff'

There's an awkward silence, until Gale starts to bring up a topic I'd rather not discuss with him.

'so do you love him?'

'not now Gale, I don't want to talk about this with you' I say in an angry yet pleading tone

'so that's a no?' he says with hope in his eyes

'GALE!' I shout
After that we don't speak.
We make it all the way to the fence, I listen for the hum, nothing!
okay, it's safe' I say, then start to crouch down to climb though the whole in the fence nearest to the hob, the hob is the town's black market, where me and gale trade our game for things eg/wool or money. Gale is quick to follow and we make our way to the hob after about 15 minutes of good trading we leave and just before we part we split our game and money so we both walk away with something special for tonight.
'Bye Gale, I'll see you at the reaping, yeah?' I ask just before we part

' Of course, it's not like I have a choice, is it?'

We start to walk our separate ways when I hear him yell
' Wear something pretty, Catnip!'

We both laugh.
I walk into the town center to the bakery, knowing Peeta will just be getting ready to go get ready for the reaping.
I look through the window, and there he is before my mind has even noticed it my feet have walked into the bakery 'ding-a-ling' the bell rings.
He doesn't turn around but says in that strong yet smooth voice of his ' sorry we're closing'
'Oh I'm not here for the bread' I say with a light chuckle as I wrap my arms around his muscular frame.
He turns around and gently kisses my lips, his lips so warm against mine.
'hello beautiful, what you doing here?'
'I couldn't stand being away from you for another minute!' I say as I stare deeply into his eyes, they are like a sea of blue, all the shades.
' Aww, you are too cute' he says laughing
We kiss and then I can feel his tongue enter my mouth, before I know it, I drop my game back and my hands are en winding in his wavy, ashy blonde, locks of hair.
One of his hands are cupping my face while the other is very low on my back, I can feel it slowly moving down and Peeta is pulling me closer to him… when his elder brother Thomas walks in ' oh right, can you two get a room I'm trying to eat'
Peeta and I blush and then Peeta just laughs

'oh grow up Thomas'
They both start play fighting and then Thomas gets Peeta in a head lock and gives him a nuggie they both start laughing.
I just catch the time on the clock through the corner of my eye, it's half 12.

' I have to go but I'll see you at the reaping?' I say walking towards the door.

'wait I'll come with you' Peeta shouts

We walk hand in hand back to my house at the seam, he pecks me on the lips and says ' see you at 2, bye beautiful' and just like that he's gone before I get to say goodbye.

I walk into the house and there Is prim I my first reaping day clothes she looks so pretty and precious but in her eyes I can see nothing but fear and worry but she honestly has nothing to worry about because she is only in there once.

I put on a big smile ' oh don't you look beautiful, give us a twirl?!' she spins round 3 times and as she does so I release that because she is a lot smaller than I was when I was 12, the clothes are too big and that the back of her blouse has came out at the back and has folded into duck tail at her back. I laugh. 'but you better tuck in that tail little duck'. I tuck the bit of blouse back into her skirt.

' I've lade out something for you too, and you bath should still be warm' says my mother in a weak tone.
'okay' I quickly turn on my heel and head upstairs, I strip down and climb into the bath and scrub all the mud and dirt from the woods off my skin, I even wash my hair.
When I'm done I go to my bedroom and on my bed is one of my mother's dresses from her merchant days, that was before she married my father, It's a soft material, a light blue like the sky she has even left some little pumps to match. I am shocked! These dresses mean the world to her and she is letting my wear it?!
Never the less I put the dress on and towel dry my hair, I go to braid it into my usual braid when my mum walks in

' oh not today! Here I'll do your hair '
I watch her hands in the mirror and after a few minutes see that she has braided it into an up do that isn't half bad.

' now you look beautiful too' she says trying to make me feel better.
At that moment Prim's head pops around the door and she walks into the room

'WOW!' she gasps ' I wish I looked like you Katniss' she says looking sad as she sits on the bed.

'oh no! I wish I looked like you little duck' I say trying to make her feel better, she smiles and makes a little, sweet 'quack!' we both start to laugh and then go downstairs to eat.
No one can eat anything because of nerves so we all have a few bites and sit in silence for a little while before we have to leave for the reaping.