Just a little inspiration from one of my favorite shows.

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Truth with Consequence

Chapter One

Year One

It was only natural that Katniss would marry Gale.

It was what everyone expected in District 12. They had always been connected at the hip since they were children. He had been her first kiss and the only boy that she would allow to take her around the dance floor during festivals—much to the envy of the other girls, both Seam and Merchant.

So when he asked her one snowy day if they should make it official, Katniss nodded and their lips met briefly in a chaste kiss.

It was a clean-cut deal.

Her wedding day, like her proposal, was straightforward. Both she and Gale went to sign their marriage license in the records office. She was in the blue dress that used to be her mother's with her coal black hair pinned up in an intricate braid while he wore a pressed shirt and slacks.

Gale took her hand and gave her a smile before signing his name. When it was her turn, Gale took her right hand and guided it to write her name where it belonged. She watched as his hand led hers and the inky lines that looked so foreign on the parchment.

"There," he pronounced quietly into her ear. "Your married name."

That was her name? It looked so strange.

"I guess," Katniss replied.

She had never learned to write properly. After her father died, it had been left up to her to take care of her family. She had taken to hunting with Gale for meat, selling the game to the Merchants in town. Schooling had been her last priority.

The two had managed to purchase a small house in the Seam, close to both their families. It was a box, really; a one level house with a tiny kitchen and two small back rooms. One would be their bedroom and the other room would be for the eventual children.

Katniss tried not to think about what was expected of her later that night .

Somehow, her mother's discussion from last night about 'marital duties' lingered in her mind. It had been horribly awkward as her mother talked about Gale 'entering' her and how it would be painful at first but she would eventually get used to it.

"You ready?" he asked Katniss as she found herself staring at their new house.

"Yes."

Together they entered their house and found their families waiting for them. Katniss' mother and Prim stood to one side of the room while Hazelle, Gale's mother, and his brothers, Vick and Rory, stood at the other. Posy, Gale's little sister, was being watched at the Hawthorne home—she was three and too young to understand what was going on.

"Katniss!" Prim rushed towards her older sister and Katniss let go of Gale's hand so they could embrace. "Congratulations."

"Thanks, sweetie," Katniss said affectionately and pressed her warm cheek to Prim's cool one.

Her mother then went to her and Katniss could see the hope in her mother's eyes; the hope of future grandbabies and a long, loving marriage.

She reached for her mother holding her tightly, nervous of what was to come. "Mama…"

"Remember what I said, Katniss," her mother whispered in her ear. "Keep a calendar of your cycle. I know you and Gale don't want babies now so remember to just go to him when you know that it's safe. Will you be okay, tonight?"

Katniss nodded.

Their toasting was a quick affair.

Both Katniss and Gale were familiar with how to kindle a fire but it surprised her to see that the loaf of bread that they received wasn't a stale one. It was golden brown and when Gale ripped a piece off, she could see that the inside held bits of dried fruit and nuts.

"Could we afford this?" she asked him after they fed each other their pieces.

"It was a present."

Katniss took a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair.

She could do this.

She smoothed the front of her nightgown—a simple white linen made by Prim and her mother. Her hands shook nervously and it wasn't until this moment that she realized how naïve she was about relationships between men and women.

She had seen Gale naked once. They used to sneak off to swim in the small pond behind the wire fence that bordered their District. They had been children at that time so she never thought much about his body.

Then last year, Gale had kissed her and his hand had traveled to cup her breast. She had no problem with it because she knew Gale knew his limits. He had kept his hand there until their lips pulled apart and left it at that.

"Katniss?" Gale knocked on the bathroom door. "You okay?"

"Yes!" She patted her hair down. "I'll be right out."

When Katniss entered the room, she found Gale standing by the bed.

He looked her over and grinned. "You look beautiful."

Her mouth was dry when she replied. "Thanks."

As he walked towards her, Katniss tried not to shake. She was suddenly desperate to go home and be tucked into bed with her sister as they told each other about their days.

It never hit her how much she was going to be giving up marrying Gale; her childhood, her innocence, her confidant and sister. Something inside her began to hurt.

Gale lifted her chin and he studied her eyes for a moment before brushing the tear that fell helplessly down her cheek.

"We don't have to do this tonight," he said after a moment. "I don't expect anything of you or us. This is our marriage—we can make our own rules."

Katniss felt the relief rush through her and she nodded giving him a small smile.

Leading Katniss to her side of the bed, Gale pulled the blanket back and let her lay down before covering her.

Kissing her forehead, he went to his side and got into bed next to her.

She was no longer scared. Gale would never hurt her.

He gave her a small smile. "Good night, Katniss."

Gale blew out the lone candle that lit the room and then laid back. She entwined her hand in his as she fell into a peaceful slumber.

Year Two

When their first year of marriage ended and the second one started, Katniss was still as innocent as she was the day of their wedding.

No one questioned why there was no baby conceived the previous year and she had settled into a peaceful life of being Gale's wife. They still did the same things. They hunted and sold game to the Merchants. They went to festivals and people would comment on how wonderful they looked together.

Every night, however, they would get into bed and Gale would kiss her forehead but never attempt to touch her.

Katniss began to wonder if there was something wrong with her. She had a decent figure, her breasts were a good size in comparison to the other Seam girls, and her hips were full, which was considered desirable.

Yet, she was still a virgin.

Four months passed and her eighteenth birthday came. The whole family assembled at the Everdeen home to celebrate. Her sister was fourteen now and looked like a blooming rose; her cheeks flushed and her blue eyes beaming as she presented the cake to Katniss.

"This is too much," Katniss told her as Prim placed the cake in front of her. "Please don't tell me that you made this."

"Of course not," Prim replied with a bright smile. "I got it from the Mellark bakery. It's your eighteenth birthday—this is a special year."

Gale kissed her cheek and she looked up at him in surprise—he was rarely affectionate in public. "It's a nice cake—as far as cakes go." She beamed back at him and he placed a single candle in the middle for her to blow out. "Make it a good one."

She wished for a better year.

"I hope you were wishing for a baby, Katniss," Hazelle said as she began to slice the cake. "I'd love to hold a little one before the year is over."

Her eyes met Gale's and he handed her a plate to put the slice on. "Mom, we're not rushing it."

"I'm just saying," his mother remarked. "I was already expecting you a month after your father and I toasted." She looked over at Katniss' mother. "I'm sure that you want the same thing—a baby with Katniss' beautiful hair and eyes."

"Of course," Katniss' mother replied. However, there was something else lurking behind her answer. "She is still very young, however."

"People are starting to talk," Vick remarked. "Especially since Madge Undersee just got married and is already expecting a little one. Some people are wondering if maybe something is wrong."

"Like what?" Katniss put her fork down.

"It's just mindless gossip," Prim said shooting a glare at her brother-in-law. "Now let's just forget about it. Rory, help me get the presents for Katniss."

The night ended in a strange tone.

When Gale went to walk his family home, Katniss' mother pulled her aside. They sat by the fireplace and her mother looked Katniss over.

"He's never touched you," she pronounced.

"Of course he has!"

"Don't lie to me, Katniss," her mother responded and took her hands. "I can see it in your eyes. You're just as chaste as the day you married Gale."

Katniss bowed her head. "That first night, I was so scared," she said quietly. "I think I scared him off."

Her mother lifted her chin. "Do you think you're ready to try again?" Katniss nodded resolutely. "Then tonight maybe you should tell him that you want to try for a baby. Show him that you're desirable—convince him that you want him more than anything else in the world."

"How?"

"I don't know." Her mother shrugged as she looked into her eyes. "Only you can unlock that secret in your husband. It's a wife's instinct."

A wife's instinct. She should know what Gale wanted from her.

"Gale?" She approached him carefully as she walked to their bed. He was already waiting for her to join him with a calm smile. "I was thinking that maybe we should try—for a baby."

A frown formed at his mouth. "Don't listen to my mother—"

"It's not that," she interrupted and crawled into their bed. Turning to face him, she rested her bottom on the soles of her feet. "After our first night, you just never—" Katniss tried to form the words but her tongue seemed glued to the roof of her mouth.

Taking a deep breath, she did the one thing that could possibly help. Slowly, she slid one of thin straps of her nightgown off her shoulder then did the same to the other side. Once they were off, she tugged the top down slowly revealing herself to him.

Katniss held her breath the entire time as Gale examined her. She waited for him to reach for her; to touch her, to do something.

"Don't do this." His hand reached over and she exhaled when he slipped the straps of her gown back on her shoulders. "I thought you were the kind of person who never let anyone tell them what to do. You never cared what people thought—"

"I care what you think, Gale," she suddenly said. "I'm yours. You're mine."

He seemed taken aback by the statement. They stared at one another for a moment before he was getting out of bed and throwing his pants back on.

"Where are you going—"

"Out," he stated tersely throwing his hunting jacket on. "Your present is in the closet."

With that, he was gone.

Katniss sat confused. What had just happened? She always thought she knew Gale—his every thought and mood. They were best friends. They were husband and wife.

Yet, she found herself thinking that she had married a complete stranger.

Getting up, Katniss walked to their closet and opened the door. Inside were a new bow and the fanciest set of arrows that she had ever owned. Taking it out, she looked them over before placing them in her corner of the room. Why did she feel so disappointed?

Was she expecting something romantic? That wasn't like her.

However, after blowing out the candle on his side, she laid her head on her pillow and allowed the tears to fall.

"Katniss."

Someone was shaking her. Whoever it was smelled like white liquor.

Opening her eyes, she looked up to see Gale looking down at her, his grey eyes glazed. She sat up slowly and looked him over.

"You're drunk, Gale."

"Don't be mad," he begged in a slurred voice. "I love you so much and I'm so sorry."

Katniss reached over to caress his chin. "I know."

Something shifted in the air and she reached to push the straps off her nightgown once more. Gale watched her, his eyes suddenly sober and she pushed forward pulling the gown halfway down revealing her top half.

Then, she swung her legs and stood up letting the rest of the gown fall leaving her naked before him. He looked her over and his hands shakily reached for her waist.

"Turn around," he suddenly commanded.

"What—" Before Katniss could protest, he turned her away from him and she could feel him breathing heavily against her neck.

"Put your hands on the bed," he instructed.

Katniss shakily put her palms on the mattress. She could hear him clumsily undoing the button of his trousers.

This was really happening.

She could hear the sound of his pants zipper going down and then Gale sighed. "I'm sorry."

Before Katniss could respond, Gale entered her swiftly and she bit her lip to stop from crying out in pain. She knew that there would be pain but this was excruciating. Her insides burnt from the friction of his hardened length against her unaroused cavern; she steadied herself gripping the blankets as she listened to the squeaking of their bedsprings.

She had no expectations when it came to lovemaking.

But Katniss had never expected him to hurt her.

When she awoke the next day, Gale was already gone. On her side table was a bouquet of wildflowers-an apology for what he had done.

Why was he sorry?

Better yet, why was she crying?

Year Three

There was still no baby. Hazelle's wish for a grandchild had gone unfulfilled.

It didn't help matters when Madge gave birth to a beautiful, golden-haired boy named Cole, who inherited her sweet smile and her husband's green eyes. The town looked at their beautiful baby then they turned to Katniss waiting in expectation for a little version of her or Gale.

Her first time had left her jaded when it came to the concept of lovemaking.

Gale had come home later that day to find her still in bed, her body aching from his intrusion. He went to her immediately, lifting and bringing her to the tub so that he could clean her up. He murmured his apologies in her ear over and over as she struggled to not show him her pain.

However by the time the warm water hit her pelvis and she cried out, they were both in tears.

Gale had started working in the mines at the beginning of their third year. They wanted to make improvements on their home so the extra cash helped. Katniss used her new bow in the mornings to hunt while he was gone. The feeling of the quiet forest helped calm her nerves.

She wasn't so daisy-fresh anymore. There was something bitter growing inside her. Was this how it felt to grow up? Everything looked unclean, including herself. Katniss could barely look at herself anymore. She couldn't recognize the grey eyes staring back at her.

Her husband had become very attentive, more affectionate even- but it seemed too late. Sure, she would smile when they were among their family and she would give him a kiss on the cheek here and there. However, when they were home and they lay in their bed—she no longer reached for him.

Summer came and their home became a furnace. She couldn't sleep so she stayed up listening to Gale's steady breathing intermingling with the sound of crickets outside their window.

One night, just as she was about to close her eyes, Katniss heard him shift to look over at her. Instinctively, she shut her eyes and waited for him to reach over for her.

Instead, she heard him sit up slowly and her ears heard the sounds of him dressing quietly followed by his steady, quiet footsteps as he walked out of their bedroom. Both she and Gale were light steppers because they were hunters. They also shared the same keen sense of hearing. Katniss listened to him leave their house and she could hear his steps from their open window heading upwards.

He was going over the fence and into the forest.

Katniss ran to their closet and threw on the olive jacket that Gale had bought her two weeks ago. It was a replacement since she had outgrown her old one. She gave her old jacket to Prim, though it looked like her sister might outgrow it soon.

Taking her boots, she slipped her feet into them and rushed out of their bedroom. Their sitting area and kitchen was dark except for the small sliver of light coming from the crescent moon outside. Opening the door, she walked out onto the porch and made her way around the perimeter of their house following their trail.

She knew it by heart and found herself walking it easily even in the darkness. Her steps were light as she stepped under the broken wired fence. Katniss listened for his footsteps as she roamed further into the woods.

It always seemed like time stopped outside the border.

Katniss didn't know how long she had been walking when she heard a sound to her left. Quietly, she walked as she tried to steady her breathing—if it was an animal; there was a chance of her getting attacked.

Weaving her way through the trees, she stopped when she heard a branch crack under someone's foot.

It was Gale. He was usually so careful to not step on branches because the sound would scare off prey. However, her husband was too distracted to notice that he had made a fatal hunting mistake.

He was pressed against the trunk of a tree, his hands grasping the short golden hair of the man he was kissing.

The air was knocked out of her and she stepped back, as quietly as she could, trying to stop herself from gasping for breath. Her legs were quaking under her and she suddenly turned to run, not caring if anyone heard her. The cold rush of air hit her face and Katniss picked up speed letting her strong legs pull her away from the image she had seen.

He had betrayed her.

Katniss cried out at the thought and she pumped her legs harder as she let the wind hit her wet face. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to push everything out of her mind when she slammed into something.

No, someone.

Opening her eyes, she found her face pressed into a strong chest. Looking up, her grey eyes met the glowing blues of Peeta Mellark, the baker's youngest son.

So this is kind of a new thing that I'm trying. I never really dabbled in the actual Panem universe but this idea came to me during one of my favorite shows and I just couldn't let it go.

I started writing this around the middle of December and told myself that I wanted to finish the whole thing by the beginning of 2014. I made this my last goal for the year.

So celebrate—because this fic is actually completed. Yay!

I know that it's turning out slightly off kilter and it will continue to be this way. I loved writing this story and I hope you enjoy it as we go along.

Feedback, reviews, and hollas are always welcome on AO3, FF, and Tumblr.

Thanks for reading, JLaLa