A/N: This is my first fan fic. It starts off in the first book when Gale proposes that he and Katniss should run away on the reaping day. If you enjoy it, please make sure to review it or favorite it.

Disclaimer: I am not Susan Collins. In no means am I trying to steal her characters. I'm merely doing this for fun.

Chapter One: The proposal

Katniss POV

The golden slants of light awaken me on Reaping day. These rays are full of energy, setting a false hope over the district. The sun may shine, but that won't change the moods of everyone in the district. Teenagers pray that they are not tribute and parents hope their son or daughter isn't forced to fight in the arena.

I slip on my old hunting boots, a black t-shirt, a pair of worn, blue jeans and cinch my father's leather jacket over my shoulders. While looking through my father's old mirror, I braid my thick, brunette hair down my back. A layer of coal dust settled on the mirror overnight. Prim usually polishes it in the morning. I guess she forgot when she left in the middle of the night to sleep with our mother.

As I leave the house, I grab my game bag from the kitchen table and walk directly to the woods. The opening in the fence seems harder to go under today. I suppose it is because of the food I bought from the marketplace. It's filled with some rolls purchased with the left-over money from our sales at the hob.

The woods embrace me with open arms. This is my second home, and Gale only makes it more…perfect. I spot Gale collecting from his snares by the hollow opening I leave my bow and arrows. When our eyes meet, we walk over to a patch of grass directly hit by sunlight. "I brought a treat for us." I say reaching into my game bag to retrieve the rolls. "So did I." Gale says smiling, ever so slightly. He moves his muscular hands inside his game bag and produces a bowl of assorted berries, and some grapes. We eat the feast laid before us, joke about Effie, worry a bit about the games, and mock the Capitol.

"Katniss…" His gray eyes lock with mine once again. "I can't do this anymore."

I try to hide the rush of emotions surging through me. What could he possibly mean? He can't pretend being friends? He doesn't want to hunt out in the woods every day? He wants to hunt separately? None of these seem probable, but I listen to the hum of his voice to hear the truth.

"If I go to the reaping today, the odds are not in my favor. My name is written 42 times in the reaping ball. The possibility of staying in district twelve for the games seems slim to none. I have to get out before it's too late."

I look away for a moment and hesitate. "There's still the possibility it won't happen. Even if you do leave, where can you run? Each district belongs to the Capitol; they would track you down to drag you back to the district and do some unimaginably awful punishment to you. You can't miss the reaping. The peacekeepers keep track of the eligible tributes; you cannot run."

Whatever flicker of hope Gale had before vanished. His look of determination and hope gone. I suddenly regretted the words I said, even if they were true. A new emotion surged through him, as he spoke again. "I hoped we could run away together. The Capitol doesn't control the woods, I suppose that's why I feel safer here than anywhere else. Please, if it's not too much to ask, I want you to come."

Without meaning to, anger boils over me. How incredibly selfish could he be? We have two families to feed. Prim is the oldest of all the siblings, but I refuse to let her sign up for terressae. Rory has two years until he can sign up, but Gale promised that would never happen. How would my family live off the money of Prim's goat's milk and my mother's healing service? As for Gale's family, Hazelle has enough work on her hands trying to take care of his three younger siblings. Why would he ever propose such an absurd idea?!

"What about the families Gale? Who's going to feed them? They'll starve to death if we don't hunt each day and bring back the meat. And what about Prim?! It's her first reaping, and you expect me to leave her without saying goodbye to her or my mother?" I realize I'm shouting, but I continue anyways to prove my point. "Hazelle has enough trouble dealing with your siblings. How will she provide everything for the family at the same time? As much as I'd like to go, my answer is no."

"I never said you couldn't tell Prim and your mother goodbye. All I said is I wanted you to come!" He doesn't yell, but his words reek of anger. "If you really want to take care of Prim for the reaping, that's just fine. We'll stay and watch myself, and a girl get drawn from the reaping balls, then march up onto the stage standing next to Effie, and the drunk we call a victor. Then, you can have the pleasure of watching me die." Gale pulls back a snarl that creeps along his olive skin.

"Gale, it's no pleasure seeing how much it hurts you. I'm willing to go, just not today. I have to comfort my family. We can leave before dawn tomorrow to go into the woods if that will make you happy" I sigh. "Will that be a fair compromise?" I ask, half hoping he says no, and half-hoping he says yes.

"If we both make it through the day, it's a plan. Only, there is one catch. You can't tell anyone."

A/N: I realize I changed a few things (where the food is from, what Gale and Katniss say to each other) but it doesn't change the point of the story. I'm not trying to replicate the book exactly, only add a few minor touches.