A/N Okay so this is my first Hunger Games Fanfiction and I hope you like it. It's Gale's POV of the Hunger Games except I changed basically all of it. I'm sorry if I get some things wrong but I'm not going to go through the book and make exact notes and stuff. I have never been a Peeta fan so this is kind of the way that I wish that it had been.

"Gale!" I heard my named get called and I turned on my heels just as Katniss jumped from the tree landing in front of me. "Hey Catnip." "Are we checking the snares today or going hunting?" Katniss said ignoring her nickname. "Defiantly hunting I need to let loose some steam. I'm just happy that this is my last reaping. I hate how some other kid is going to get picked though." "I know what you mean. It's Prim's first reaping and I wish that I could shield her from it. It's horrible watching them get their names pulled out of the bowl as if we're animals."

"Promise me Gale that if my name's pulled you'll look after mom and Prim." "There's no way that you're name's going to get called Katniss." "Just promise me!" I was shocked by the intensity in her voice and I knew that she would not be comforted unless I said that I would. So of course I didn't say I would.

"If you're name gets pulled then you should already know that I'm volunteering after you. There's no way that I'm letting you face that arena on your own." "Fine." "Fine."

I was in the eighteen year old boys section at the reaping and I looked to my right and I saw Katniss. She looked beautiful in a blue dress that I could only guess was once worn by her mother. She turned her head and then smiled at me. But the look in her eyes could only be described as worry. She was terrified for her little sister and who could blame her.

Effie Trinket walked towards the microphone and the two massive glass bowls filled with pieces of paper. 48 of those pieces of paper have my name on it. But the girls always have the name pulled first. Effie put her hand in the bowl and fished around for a moment. She pulled out a single slip of paper and said, "And your district 12 victor is... Primrose Everdeen!"

I felt the blood drain from my face. There was no way Prim could have been chosen. She had only one slip of paper in that bowl. The crowd made sounds of disapproval as they did whenever a twelve year old was chosen.

I watched in shock as Katniss shoved Prim behind her shouting, "I volunteer," over and over again. "Katniss NO!" Prim screamed. I pushed my way through the crowd and grabbed Prim. "Up you go Catnip," I said trying to fight back my tears knowing that they wouldn't help anybody and knowing what I had to do.

I watched as Katniss got the small speech by Effie and the Mayor was looking sad obviously remembering her as the strawberry girl. When they announced the boy's name I was sure that it would be my name. I mean seriously! I had 48 slips in that bowl and Peeta Mallerk got chosen!

"Any volunteers?" That got me out of my stupor pretty quickly. The question was met with silence. "I volunteer," I called out realizing that maybe this way I would be able to save Katniss. Not that I didn't believe in her but the other people in that arena would be so strong and I didn't want to take that chance with her.

"What's your name?" "Gale Hawthorne."

Katniss, Effie, Haymitch and I entered the train after saying our goodbyes. "Why did you volunteer Gale? District 12 isn't exactly a career tribute district. I know! You did it because you want to get on TV! You have that camera ready face and you figured that you wanted to show it off while you could. I'm right right?"

"No. You couldn't be more wrong actually." "Really then why did you volunteer?" "Katniss here is my best friend. After she volunteered for her sister I decided that I wasn't going to let her go and face the arena on her own." Katniss gave me a small smile. Her face was a mixture of thank you and you're such an idiot.

Of course you wouldn't want to let her face the arena on her own. You just want to have the responsibility of killing your best friend." At that both Katniss and Gale froze looking at each other. "My goal is to keep her alive as long as I can. Then I'll let someone else pick me off so she doesn't have to or I'll kill myself so that she has me as her last opponent."

"There's no way that you're doing that!" Katniss argued. "That was my plan and there is no way that you are using that plan as it compleatly contradicts my plan!" Everyone seemed shocked at the fierceness in her voice. "You're my best friend Gale. There's no way in hell that I'm letting you die. I'll die before I let you die."

"Well I'm not letting you die either. I came here for the purpose of saving your life so there is no way that I'm letting you die for me." "Let's put an end to this argument. We'll finish it in the arena. Instead let's make a pact. No matter what we'll try to keep one another alive and make it to the end. If one of us wins then we'll look after their family and help them through their grieving time and provide for them."

"Of course Catnip. We've always thought of our families as one big family so this will just make it official." Katniss smiled at him and threw herself into his arms wrapping their arms around her. I pulled her closer and buried my face in her hair. Of course then Effie had to ruin the moment by going "AWWW". Katniss pulled away and I noticed a slight blush on her features.

I hadn't seen her blush in ages and certainly never after hugging me. If anything I was always the one that blushed after a hug. That was generally because I was thinking about what it would be like to be able to just wrap my arms around her and give her a kiss whenever I wanted because she was mine. But, unfortunately that was not the case. She didn't belong to me. She never had and I had a feeling that she never would.

As much as it killed me to know that I couldn't help but hope that maybe being in the arena together would make her realise that she loved me. Maybe deep down she felt the same way for me that I felt for her. If she did then I would NEVER give up. Even if there was the tinniest possibility I knew that I would never be able to love another woman. Not when all I wanted was Katniss.

A/N Hey guys I hoped that you guys enjoyed my first chapter and I would appreciate it if you could please review and give me your honest opinion and I'm also open to suggestions if you have any. So please read and review thanks! ~Twi-Esca-Inu