A/N: Heller! Just wanted to ask you guys to REVIEW ALREADY! This is my 9th chapter and I have 6 reviews, count them, 6. So, PLEASE REVIEW! Oh and I am NOT Suzanne Collins.

Chapter 9

Peeta's POV

Oh. No. This is NOT happening. That is NOT my son, standing exactly where I stood almost 30 years ago. No. Katniss is tearing up. Oh, dear Lord. Please be with my son.

Gale is standing stock still, his fists clenched. His daughter is up there, too. I know that at least one of the two of us will be heartbroken in the next few weeks. And the worst thing: his wife, Aster's mom, is at home in 2.

0-o-0

Katniss has locked herself in our room, and she won't come out. Great. Calla's freaking out because we won't tell her what happened. Gale is just pacing the living room, looking pale and muttering to himself. He called his wife, Lira, but broke down in tears before he could tell her much, so I had to do it for him, making sure Calla didn't hear.

When Katniss and I woke up this morning to find out that Storm and Aster were missing, I didn't think much about it. I mean, I just assumed they were out together. Maybe Storm was showing Aster around, but when they didn't turn up in time for the reaping, we got worried. And then to see them get reaped, we all freaked out.

Suddenly, I hear Katniss shriek and I have a jolt of adrenaline powerful enough for me to knock the door down. I'm by her side in 3 steps.

"Katniss, honey, what's wrong?" I ask her, my breath still ragged from my almost-heart attack.

"Everything's wrong," she cries into my shoulder. "What if the same thing that happened to us happens to them?"

It hits me. If my son falls in love with Aster Hawthorne, I will kill. Katniss and I were 16. Storm and Aster are 14. No way am I allowing some of the stuff we did (sleeping in the same bed, kissing in public, cuddling) to happen and I KNOW Gale would probably kill Storm if he so much as laid a finger on his Aster. After all, she is their only child.

After about 10 minutes, my shirt is soaked, but Katniss is okay. I think she realizes we all have to be strong. She stands, takes a shaky breath, and walks toward the door. Before she makes it, though, Calla blocks the door.

"You're going to tell me right now what the sheep is going on here," she says, determined to get her information. That demand right there is enough to put Katniss in tears, but she stands strong.

"We'll tell you downstairs, honey," she says weakly.

Calla all but races down the stairs to the couch where she plops herself down. Katniss follows her more slowly, and I bring up the rear. Gale is still pacing in front of the fireplace where only ashes lay.

"Gale," Katniss says calmly, "come on and sit down. They're smart kids. If the rules are still 74th style, then both of them will be home in a few weeks. It'll be fine." Katniss tries to fake a smile, but it looks more like a grimace.

That night, we have to watch the reaping all over again. When the District 2 kids come up, Gale looks shocked all over again. I wonder if Aster knew them. The Riegan kid from 5 sounds familiar, too.

0-o-0

We watch the parade in silence. That's pretty much how life is now. Silent. Calla looks epically bored, but she doesn't understand. Katniss and I have been through what our son is about to go through all over again. Gale has been in this exact same position twice already. He almost lost his best friend to the Games twice. And now his daughter is in it.

0-o-0

The next day, the first portion of the comments are actually about Storm and Aster. As the shot of them comes up on screen, Gale lets out a hiss through his teeth. I can see why; Aster is being… um… sexually harassed by this monster of a boy. A second later, Gale is on his feet. Then the camera pans to 4 boys standing on the opposite side of the table, and now the shock of seeing Aster being harassed by the giant wears off and I can hear the conversation.

I see Storm, the boy from 2 (I think his name is Davis or something like that), Finnick's son Finn, and – oh, I recognize the kid now – Riegan, my son's pen pal. Suddenly, Storm gives a sort of signal, and all 4 boys rush to the other side. In a matter of moments, the monster (Titan) is pinned to the ground by Finn and Riegan, and Aster is sobbing in Storm's arms.

Gale has his fists clenched and he is really pale.

"That's it!" he shouts. "I'm getting them out of there!" He storms out of the room and is gone.

Gale's POV

0-o-0

I bust into the mayor's office with the red fiery anger still in my eyes.

"WHY IS MY DAUGHTER IN THE –insert choice curse word here- HUNGER GAMES?" I yell at Mayer Topear.

"Mr. Hawthorne," Mayer Topear says to me, looking flustered.

I try to interrupt, but he holds up a hand. "Just let me explain! Rebels from the capitol have taken over the Hunger Games and put in tributes that are related to the winners, the dead tributes, or people that were important to the war. The Capitol people think the Gamemakers are just trying to mix the Games up a bit, so these tributes volunteered. But the only tributes who were actually dragged up on stage were your daughter and the Mellark's son. There's no way we can get them out of there. I'm sorry. But I do know that the rules have stayed the same since the 74th, it's just no two tributes from the same district have ever survived into the final two. I think District 12 has a chance. They seem to know enough about weapons and such," he tells me.

"So you're telling me I can't do anything to get my daughter out of the Hunger Games, so the only thing I possibly can do is just to watch her?" I ask him seriously.

"Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying," he nods.

"Okay," I trail off. "Well, I apologize for yelling at you. I was just so scared," I say

"I completely understand," Mayor Topear smiles at me sadly.

"Thank you," I tell him earnestly as I turn to leave.

On my walk home, the pain comes back. I can't bear not having my little girl anymore.

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