A/N Hello! This is my first fanfiction so I'm all new to this, but I really hope you like it. I've always been a Galeniss fan, I was just thinking one day with that in mind, and behold this was born! Sooo, I really hope you like it!

Set after the 74th hunger games but before the Quarter Quell. The Quarter Quell WILL be in this though…just a different version of it.

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Prologue: The Past.

PLEASE NOTE: THE PROLOGUE IS JUST TO CATCH YOU UP TO DATE WITH WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST! IT IS NOT ACTUALLY HOW EVERY EVENT IN THE STORY WILL BE WRITTEN!

As I stood on that stage with Peeta Mellark beside me, eyes locked on those beautiful striking grey ones- I knew what I had to do.

I had to get out. Get out of that arena. And most importantly get out of that arena alive. For him.

My heart felt heavy. I was disgusted. Filled with grief once I had found out about Haymitch's plan. I didn't want to do it, but I knew I had to. Because deep down I knew Haymitch was right.

The only way to get out of the games was to be in love with Peeta Mellark, to act. And that's exactly what I did. I played along. I acted. For him.

Every word uttered to and fro in that cave, in the area, made me light-headed. It brought back everything I had attempted to cram away for the moment just so I could keep my legs moving. I missed him. God, I missed him.

I imaged Peeta was him. That was the only way I could bring myself to kiss the boy with the bread.

I was just plane sickened by my actions. Especially since I knew he would be watching, waiting for me to come home. And because I knew Peeta had genuine feelings for me. He would always look at me the way I look at him and he looks at me…with love and passion and the desire to scoop that person up in your arms with the intention of never letting go.

I played off Peeta's emotions to stay alive and get home. I knew it. Haymitch knew it. President Snow knew it. And who knows how many more knew it also.

I was able to convince most of them though.

But the ones who could see through my act didn't know why I had such an urge to win other than not wanting to die…no else except me…and him. But he didn't know it was fake. Not yet anyway.

As the ending creped closer tension ran higher. Two tributes could win then. It had to be Peeta and I. I was forced to enhance the act even more.

I knew what would happen.

I knew they would never let us both go home (though I had to believe it), because the capital must always have their one Victor.

It was a plan, a strategy, my feelings for Peeta were.

I could've killed him once they snatched away that new rule, but he was too innocent and kind and ignorant and pure. Besides, our "romance" was a perfect cover up.

I knew President Snow saw right through my act and wouldn't be very happy about my defiance. So I would play on the love for Peeta thing…President Snow would like that. Which also meant he didn't know about my relationship with him. At least I hoped he didn't and wouldn't.

I had to get home one way or the other. It was just a convenience that the boy with the bread played right into my hands. It sounded cruel. It is. And I hate myself for it, but it was necessary.

So, yes. The berry stunt was made out of an act of love…just not for Peeta. It was for him.

I promised to get back. Not only because Prim's my sister and I'm the only thing she has left besides mother. But because I need him as much as he needs me.

With that in mind I gathered the berries in my hand, gave some to Peeta, and started to take them until they announced that we had both won.

I was fulfilling my promise…I just happened to defy the capitol while doing so.

After the winning interview with Ceasar Flickerman Peeta found out that my feelings for him weren't genuine. He stopped talking to me unless it was absolutely necessary.

I saw him instantly through the crowd. My eyes were a magnet for his.

He was waiting for me to arrive with a small bouquet of flowers and his family surrounding him.

A beam subconsciously overcame my face at the sight.

Then everything came at me like a ton of bricks.

The way he murmurs "I love you" through our kisses.

How his rough calloused hands hold me oh so gently as if I'm his everything and he's scared to break me even though he knows I'm strong.

I remember how his eyebrows scrunch together when he's focusing on a new snare and the light which sparks in his eyes once we're together.

I can imagine the way his lips quirk up the slightest bit once I say or do a certain something. When that happens he would normally smile and laugh and say how "beautifully cute" I am. But when we're in town or in the Seam or something-in front of everyone- his lips only barely give off an amused expression so that he won't give too much away.

Not only because he's Gale and doesn't show much of his emotions but with me but also because no one knew we were together except our families, though a lot suspected. We had been together 3 months before I went into the games.

As I stood at the train station in district 12 all I wanted to do was forget everyone and fling myself at him, whispering "I love you" "I missed you". But I had to remind myself about the act with Peeta and some idiot who made up that Gale and I were "cousins".

So I stayed put. Waiting for our moment.

After the cameras left I went into the woods. I almost didn't think he'd come after a while of waiting. He did though.

We had a fight. A big one. The biggest one we had ever had.

He was furious and heartbroken about how the games went about. He felt as if I had betrayed him.

Finally, I explained what all happened. That everything was fake and that I did what I had to do to stay alive. But also that I would have to continue to "have feelings" for Peeta so President Snow doesn't kill our families.

I told him I loved him and I never wanted to do it.

He broke up with me anyway.

I mourned for months. I avoided the woods. I had money so there was no need for game. I never went to the Seam. Barley left our new house in the Victor's Village. I was turning into my mother after father died. I didn't care though. In some ways I felt like I understood how and why my mother seeped into this dead state. I still hated it though.

Constantly, I thought about him. I worried for him being in those mines. Every day I would trek to his house in secret (the only time I left the house). His mother, Hazel, would let me in, hand me a cup of tea which I never drank. I always asked the same question and got the same reply.

"Is he alright?" I would ask numbly.

"He's fine physically. But emotionally? That's a different story Katniss. He doesn't sleep. Barley eats. All he does is go into those damn mines and avoids here as much as possible. He misses you Katniss and is sure as hell still in love with you. You have to talk to him, please."

After that I would nod and walk out without a word.

After a while I stopped listening to her tell me how bad he's feeling. It hurt too much. Eventually I would simply run out before Hazel could launch into her speech about how emotionally damaged Gale is.

It soon got to the point where I would walk to his house and Hazel would give me a nod through the window so I knew he wasn't dead.

One day though Hazel wasn't there. I waited and waited. Even knocked on her door. Rory answered. That's how I found out that there had been an accident.

One of the mines had exploded and everyone in that one died. Not Gale's, close to his, but not the mine he was working in on that day.

Apparently though, the surrounding mine (which was Gale's) almost collapsed because of the force of the explosion that went off in the other mine. From that surrounding mine which almost collapsed, most of the people came out perfectly fine before the whole thing caved in. Though some were injured, including Gale.

My mother and Prim were in the process of nursing the wounds of others when I got home. I found my Gale immediately. His back was bloodied where tools and rocks had encased his body until his friends dragged him out.

Over the time it took him to heal I never left his side. We didn't talk at first and he never objected to my presence. He simply held my hand (squeezing it when he was in pain), his eyes locked with mine as we gazed back at one another.

In the early hours of the second day he spoke my name, awaking me from my sleep. "Catnip, I love you," he whispered groggily before his eyes drooped and he blacked out.

We took it slow at first. Talking a little, working things out. He was back in the mines. I hated that.

We hunted together again, one Sunday, like we always used to do. Something we hadn't done in months. Finally we kissed again. Like we always used to do. Something we hadn't done in months.

With time, all things started to go back to the way it was.

Gale and I worked everything out eventually. Though the games and Peeta are still a sore spot I think they always will be.

Still, no one knows about our relationship except our families. They were ecstatic to find we had gotten back together.

We couldn't help but agree.

Everything was back to normal. Dare I say it Gale and I were stronger, better, and more in love than ever.

Then the victory tour came...