Hello! This is my first fanfiction, yet nonetheless I still hope you will enjoy it. If you have the time, please leave a review. As a new author, feedback would be very helpful along with any suggestions or questions you may have. Thank you and happy reading!

*Sorry for any major OOC-ness, but this is an AU so it might happen.

*Rated M because I am paranoid.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or rights to the Hunger Games.

Chapter 1

Looking back on it, I have made so many mistakes. Where do I even start? I guess it would be when it did start: with Gale.

After the rebellion, and more specifically after Prim died, I kind of died, too. Not physically, but emotionally. I locked myself in my room and hid underneath the covers of my bed all day. I was in some strange form of comatose, I think. I stayed away from reality, yet I also stayed away from slumber because they were both nightmares to me. So, that left me in some weird state where nothing even mattered and I felt nothing but pain.

No one, not even Peeta, could help me.

Granted, I never gave anyone a chance, but in reality who could have helped me beside Haymitch (who was always drunk) or Peeta? Honestly, I couldn't stand to be near Peeta just because of all the memories he evoked inside of me. I didn't hate him; I actually missed the friendship we once had. I even hoped for the day that we could overcome the past and help each other, but it never came.

My life was like this for over a year, until one day I actually started to watch some tv, because let's face it: wallowing in self-loathe for 12 months can get pretty boring after a while.

It was some news report, and despite the rebellion, the Captiol citizens still looked like freaks. Focusing too much on the reporters midnight blue lipstick and lime green hair, I hadn't heard what the whole story was about, only part of it.

"-Mr. Hawthorne has had an extraordinary hand in rebuilding District 4…"

Gale. Honestly, I had forgotten about him up until then. Yet, I realized that I did miss him, he had been my best friend, after all and he was the one person that I could look at without thinking about the Games.

Except for the fact that when I did look at him I remembered her, Prim.

It had crossed my mind that he could have been the reason that she is gone, but I was willing to look over that at the prospect of renewing our friendship. It had only been Gale's idea to think of the bombs, not necessarily to use them. And even if he was the one to decide to drop them, how would he have known Prim would be affected?

So I decided, to get my act together: for me, for Prim.

That very next day I packed a bag and headed toward the train station. I had bought a ticket to District 4 and I never looked back.

Mistake #1.

I found Gale's address easily enough and was at the doorstep of his house by sundown that same day. A million different thoughts were running through my head as I meekly knocked on his front door.

What am I doing?

Can we still be friends?

Will he want to be friends?

And oddly enough,

What if he has a wife…?

All those thoughts, however, were erased from my mind as he opened the door, took one look at me and brought me into a bone-crushing hug as he said, "Hey Catnip."

That night, while sipping tea in his den, we caught up with each other. He told me about his job as a high-ranking government official, which frankly I zoned out on. Yet, I followed enough to know that he would be running for District's 4 mayor. He also profusely apologized about Prim, which I told him wasn't necessary. And deep, deep, down I was happy to learn that he wasn't married.

After that, our friendship quickly caught on fire and we began seeing each other almost every day. Now, with some purpose in my life, I had also decided to work in the town's local apothecary shop, in honor of Prim.

And inevitably with time, that hunger I felt on the beach before with Peeta happened again, only this time my thoughts were of Gale. Soon after, we had become a couple, and even more soon than that, he proposed to me. I had said yes and was excited to start this new life with my best friend.

Mistake #2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc.

Everything had started to change.

Gale got elected as mayor and what first seemed as a blessing turned into something much worse. We began to see each other less and less. When we did see each, Gale was always in a bad mood due to stress or a horny mood, also due to stress. Quickly, he became more violent and would come home late, drunk, and scream at me for no apparent reason. Screams turned into slaps, which turned into full out beatings, which then turned practically into rape.

Gale had changed and wasn't the man I love anymore. I had changed too, I had felt weak not only physically with bruises and exhaustion, but mentally, as well.

This was not who I was. The girl on fire didn't get pushed around, especially not by some dick of a husband. The mockingjay of the rebellion needed to be stronger. So, when I had finally become fed up with Gale, I began to do the thing I do best: plan to rebel.

I couldn't just run away, I wouldn't be able to hide fast enough without someone noticing the mayor's wife was missing. That's another thing. I wasn't Katniss Everdeen anymore; I was "Mrs. Hawthorne" or just "the wife". And I couldn't fight him off, at least not now, I was too weak.

So, I began eating a little bit more, each day. While Gale was at work, I began to exercise and try to remember the combat skills I had learned from the games. Slowly, I felt myself gain a little weight back along with some muscle. And then one day, I knew it was time. It was time to get my life back, time to get my freedom back, and most importantly, time to beat the shit out of Gale.

It was a clear night, the moon was visible, and a steady breeze was present. Like any other night, Gale had come home late and was sitting across from me as we ate. Fortunately, it was one of those rare times that he wasn't pissed off, however that probably meant he was horny.

Great, I thought. It was going to be one of those nights.

I was washing the dishes, when Gale came up behind me and snaked his arms around my waist. I have grown so accustomed to hating him over the past few months that I almost cringed away. Yet, I knew I had to play the part right, the part of the "good housewife" and not the crazy bitch he was going to see pretty soon.

Humoring him, I moaned as he nibbled on my earlobe and it was like a bomb was set off. He swung me around and slammed against the counter, his lips crashing down on mine. He wanted it fast tonight but I was prepared. As he began to unclothe us I shoved the knife I had kept hidden into his thigh, not hard enough to kill him, but definitely enough to injure him.

He looked down at the wound and then up at me again and growled, "What the fuck, Katniss? What the hell is wrong with you?"

I looked at him, wanting to hurt him as much as he has hurt me, but I knew that was impossible. Instead, I just said innocently, "Karma is a bitch, isn't it?"

He lunged forward at me, hatred in his eyes, preparing to attack me no doubt, when I jumped out of the way. He was drunk; I smelled it on his breath earlier, so he was uncoordinated. Turning around, Gale tried to swing a punch at me, but I grabbed his fist and bent his arm backward, painfully.

"What's wrong, honey", I asked innocently, "does that hurt?"

He screamed in pain, and then yelled, "You whore! You're gonna be sorry you ever tried to leave me!"

I kicked him in the groin and he doubled over in pain. "No Gale," I said darkly, "I will never be sorry for leaving your drunk, dumb ass." I punched him in the face and tied his hands and ankles together, silently giving thanks to Finnick.

Running down the hall, I grabbed the bag I had hid earlier. I don't look behind as I throw the door open and sprint, heart pumping and muscles throbbing, to the train station, to home, to District 12.

A/N: There you have it! Chapter 1! Once again, any questions, comments, concerns, etc. please leave a review. Also, I hope you don't think I am trying to make light of abusive relationships. They are very serious and I would never try to make fun of one. I am simply using it as a way to make my plot interesting. If you or someone you know is in a relationship please get help and get out of it because you are worth so much more.

P.S- This will be a Peeta and Katniss story, I just need to have some build up. And for the record, I hate Gale and do blame him for Prim's death, and love Peeta with all my heart! That is why I am thinking about making the next chapter in his POV. What do you think?

-the1thatmakesyouwish