Hey there Hunger Games fans. This is my first attempt at a Hunger Games story. It takes place two years after the rebellion. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Rekindling a Dying Fire

Chapter One-Grey Eyes in the Rain

I try to convince myself that I am happy, that my life with Peeta isn't wrong—even though I'm not happy and my life with Peeta feels very wrong. I try to convince myself that it doesn't feel wrong to wake up wrapped in his arms, to wake up to his blue eyes. I try to convince myself that I don't miss those ashen grey eyes, that playful smirk—his lips on mine. I try to convince myself that my best friend didn't assist in the killing of my sister.

"What are you doing out here?" Peeta's voice brought my out of my thoughts. "It's raining, you should really be inside."

"I've sat through worse Peeta." I say unintentionally thinking back to our time in the arena.

I can see it in his eyes that he's thinking about it too, it's only a matter of time before he has another one of his fits. Automatically I reach for his hand and pull him down beside me. I wrap my arms around him and he pulls me onto his lap. I rub his back soothingly, the tension in his body disappears under my touch.

"We should get back inside." I say turning to look out at the rainy afternoon, the grey color of the sky reminded me of Gale. "Will you make those rolls I love so much? Cold rainy days like these make me crave hot chocolate."

"Yeah I'll make the rolls." Peeta says his voice is strained, I can tell he's still fighting a mental breakdown. I slide off his lap and watch him get to his feet, he extends his hand out to me. "You coming?"

"Yeah give me a minute." I say.

Peeta nods and walks into the house, to the kitchen where he'll spend the next couple of hours baking enough rolls to feed the entire district. I stare out at the Victor's Village, Peeta's house is empty and the lights in Haymitch's are out—he must be passed out in his living room. I stand up and walk down the porch steps into the rain, Peeta won't even notice I'm not in the house.

I know it's stupid to be out in the rain but it's one of those days where Peeta's company sets me on edge, where it threatens to drive me towards insanity. As I walk towards what used to be the Seam I think of Annie and little Finn, Annie who was driven mad by the Hunger Games and poor little Finn who will never know his father. The thought of the child makes me think of the conversation Peeta and I had the night before about us having children, he wanted children and I didn't.

I found myself standing in front of where the Hawthorne house once stood. Memories of Gale hit me with the full force of the wind he was named after. Staring at the house brought back every single memory of Gale from our first meeting to our last words. I wrap my arms around myself glad that the rain will mask the tears that are falling down my cheeks without my authorization. I walk away and head towards the woods, towards our old meeting place. It's been a while since I last stepped foot in the woods, sure there was no electric fence anymore but the woods were mine and Gale's place and I couldn't face them.

I sit on our rock looking at the woods that seem to have stayed the same when everything else has changed. Gale and I are no longer speaking to each other but sitting here now I can see the two friends who were tying to keep their starving families alive. It frightens me how clearly I can see the two of us, how real the hallucinating has become. Its as if my nightmares have seeped out of my subconscious and into reality. They're so clear that I can't tell what's real from what's not sometimes.

So when I hear Gale's voice say, "You're going to get sick Catnip. Go home." That's what I assume it is—a hallucination.

I turn around and see him standing underneath a nearby tree. At first I chalk it up to my messed up brain but when I look away from him I realize that he doesn't look like he normally does in my hallucinations and nightmares. I whip my head around and study him, he looks older, more mature but still breathtakingly handsome. He's dressed so much differently then in my nightmares and hallucinations, there he's dressed in his hunting clothes or his soldier's uniform but here he was dressed in a nice pair of jeans, a grey t-shirt, a dark blue zip-up sweatshirt, and a black leather jacket. His eyes are on me and I look away realizing I probably look like a crazed mess.

"G-Gale." I say when I turn back around and fully accept that he's not a figment of my borderline insane mind. "W-what a-a-are you d-doing here?"

"Taking a much needed vacation." He says sticking his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "Life in Two isn't satisfying anymore."

I nod and stand up, I don't walk toward him instead I walk back to the Seam. When I'm sure I have put enough distance between Gale and me I run back to my house. Peeta's in the kitchen baking and doesn't notice me make a mad dash to the bathroom. I take a shower and crank up the heat to the highest temperature I can stand. I stay in the shower for over an hour before finally getting out. I get dressed in a baggy blue t-shirt that I think may belong to Peeta and a pair of black sweatpants.

"I made you the hot chocolate you were craving." Peeta says when I walk into the kitchen.

"And enough rolls to feed the whole district." I say looking at all the rolls sitting on the counters.

He smiles and says, "I guess I did go a little overboard."

"Eat with me." He looks like he rather continue baking like a madman but sits down in front of me. I dunk my roll into the hot chocolate and eat it under Peeta's heavy gaze. "We should invite Haymitch over for dinner soon, you know since we haven't seen him in a while."

"He won't come." Peeta says clenching his hands in to fists. His eyes were unfocused and before I could reach across the table to him he was on his feet walking out of the kitchen.

I hear our bedroom door slam shut. I sit in the kitchen sipping the hot chocolate and dunking the rolls into it. Peeta doesn't return and when I go and check on him he turns me away and locks the bedroom the bedroom door. I sit on the couch and wrap the afghan around myself.

Rapid knocking on the door wakes me up just as I'm falling asleep. Groaning I get up and answer the door. My eyes widen to their full extent at the sight of Gale standing on my doorstep, I move to slam the door in his face but he wedged his booted foot in between the door and the doorframe.

"We need to talk Catnip and I'm not leaving here until we do." He said looking determined.

"Not here, Peeta's in the middle of an episode and you'll only set him off more." I don't know why I tell him this or why I'm agreeing to talk to him but I do. Maybe it's because he's soaking wet and looking desperate or because I still consider him my best friend and a part of me is glad he's here. "Wait here."

He nods and I calmly walk into the kitchen, I toss a dozen or so rolls into a plastic bag and the rest of the hot chocolate into a thermos. I find the keys to Peeta's house in one of the drawers and head back to Gale. We walk silently and quickly to Peeta's house.

"Its dusty in here." Gale says when I flick the lights on.

"Peeta hasn't live here since the Quarter Quell." I say leading him to the kitchen.

"So are you two together?" Gale asks though he knows the answer.

"Yes."

"Are you happy?"

"No."

My name is Katniss Everdeen. I'm eighteen years old. I live in District 12. I was in the Hunger Games twice. I led the Rebellion that ended the Capitol and killed my sister. I'm married to Peeta Mellark but in love with Gale Hawthorne. The Capitol manipulated my whole life and because of them I'm borderline insane and locked in a marriage they forced on me.

To be continued...

I hope you enjoyed reading this and please drop a review so I can decide whether or not to continue this story. I'll see you guys next time...maybe :)