(KATNISS POV)
I crouched silently down at the water's edge, waiting for my dear friend and hunting companion Gale to arrive. Nothing had been the same since the games. Gale went to work in the mines and I moved to the victors village of course. Peeta had taken the house across from me. Today was the last day I would be hunting for the next few weeks, since the victory tour started today.
"Hey catnip," I heard Gale call approaching from behind, "Damned birds think they own these woods now. You ready?"
"Yeah," I said standing up and walking over to join him. We started covering our snare route, gathering what had been caught then resetting them. After that he led me to where some turkeys were running around, crouching behind a rock I pulled out and loaded my bow. I pulled back and then released letting the arrow fly. I didn't look until after I released the arrow and I looked up just in time to see it strike a young boy in the shoulder as he fell to the ground.
"Katniss! Katniss! It's okay. Your okay. Your safe, your here with me," I didn't release I was screaming until I heard Gales voice trying to sooth me. He wrapped his arms around me and I was able to breathe.
After taking another look at where I had shot the arrow I saw only turkeys running off and calmed down after seeing that I had only imagined the boy standing there.
"Lets go home," Gale suggested and I greatly agreed. We hid our weapons and then walked back to the fence, which we easily slid under. The walk back to his house was silent. Right when we were about to say goodbye he asked the question I'd known he would.
"When does the tour leave?"
"A couple hours, it's just for a weeks Gale."
"Sure."
"I'll be back before the snow melts. Promise." I looked up at him and then felt something pulling us together, closer, closer, I closed my eyes then was met by the touch of his lips on mine. It wasn't a bad feeling at all, but we parted soon.
"I had to do that, just once," Gale said as he turned and walked away.
I walked back to my house. I entered the victor village taking a deep breath while doing so. I walked past Haymitch's and walked into my house. Mother asked me if I'd enjoyed my walk and before I could ask what she was talking about Prim reveled to me that we had guests. I followed the peacekeepers into the back office-like room of my house and was greeted by President Snow. They closed the door and stood off to the side. I noticed that the end of the past game was playing from this projector. Peeta and me were about to eat the berries then stopped and were pronounced the victors.
"Katniss Everdeen. While some viewed your stunt as an act of love others viewed it as an act of defiance." I didn't know why this was so important. "When Peeta and you go on the victory tour I want you to make people see you love him. Convince me, cause so far, I'm not convinced. This is the only was to save the people you care about." When he finished the sentence the projector was producing a new image, the one of Gale and me kissing outside his house. I sat in shock.
"Here's something for you Mrs. Everdeen," Snow said while handing me a white rose, "remember, convince me." He got up and walked out while the kiss between Gale and me replayed in the air.