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I don't own the Hunger Games. No copyright infringement intended.

Katniss' POV

Over the past few years, I've been determined. Dedicated. Numb. Crazed. Terrified. I really don't think that it would be too inaccurate to say that I've felt almost every emotion in the book.

But I've never felt anger like I feel it now. Rage boils inside of me, threatening to spill out over my lips. This is true anger. When I got off the phone with Blaze, I thought that I was hurt that Gale didn't trust me enough to let me make up my own mind about whether or not I could handle one last mission. But the more I mulled the offense over in my mind, I realized that I'm not hurting at all. I'm furious.

"How dare he think he could keep that from me? Does he think I'm not strong enough? Does he really think that I'm too…too weak to handle another battle? No one wants to put down this uprising more than I do! He of all people should know that I understand what our world will be like if the Capitol regains even the smallest foothold!" I rail at Annie while she cowers on her couch. I know that my anger is making her nervous, but I can't stop the words from pouring forth.

I will admit that besides the anger, I feel disappointment. I'm disappointed in Gale for thinking so little of me. After everything we've been through together, I feel betrayed by him. I thought that we were partners in all things, including working for the Rebels. And, regardless of our relationship, Blaze ordered him to tell me about this mission and he deliberately disobeyed!

I feel a slight thrill of joy at the fact that, from what I've heard about Blaze, he will not be happy to hear this news. I stop yelling because I notice that Annie has actually piled pillows on top of her body in an attempt to shield herself from me. She knows that I'm not a threat, but she's never seen me like this and my mood scares her. Quite frankly, Annie's really never seen me like anything for a long period of time. Even though we lived in District 13 together for a short period after she, Peeta, and Johanna were rescued together, my feelings of obligation towards her stem more from my relationship with Finnick rather than any friendship we ever developed between the two of us. I was a bit more preoccupied with the fact that Peeta wanted me dead than I was with founding a friendship between myself and Finnick's fiancé.

For the first time since we've arrived, I think about how uncomfortable it must be for her to have Gale and I here in her house. How many memories are we causing her to recall? I slowly approach the couch and, one by one, remove the pillows she's stacked around herself. "Annie, I'm sorry. I lost my temper for a minute but I'm fine now. Don't be scared," I say calmly and softly.

Peeking her head around an exceptionally large pillow, she nods, her green eyes wide. "I just don't want you to be angry, Katniss. I'm sure Gale just wanted to protect you. He would never have left you in the dark for selfish reasons." Begrudgingly, I admit that she probably has a point. That doesn't mean I'm not going to give Gale hell when he walks through that door, though.

As if on cue, I hear a door slam outside and the growl and putter as a diesel engine makes its way down the road. I stand, fists clenched. Gale walks in the door and looks right at me. I feel my chin lift defensively. His gray eyes look apprehensive and he approaches me slowly. Reaching his hand for mine, he says "Katniss…"

"Upstairs. Now," I growl. I'm not subjecting Annie to this. I lean down and kiss her on the cheek. "Everything is going to be fine," I whisper, squeezing her arm as I make my way around the couch and walk slowly up the stairs to our room.

Gale sits on the bed, head hanging miserably when I walk in. Without looking at me, he begins, "Katniss-you weren't ever supposed to find out." My eyes widen. He knows that came out wrong. "I just didn't know if you could handle going through something like that again." That came out wrong too. He tries once more. "All I was trying to do is protect you. Everything from last year is still so fresh—I didn't want you going through that again so soon."

I stare at him and when I begin to speak, my voice is calm and deadly. "Gale, this is my decision. I get to decide what I'm ready for. I get to decide what I partake in and what I skip. You had no right to keep this from me. First of all, up until today, you didn't even know what this mission would encompass, so I'm not exactly sure what you thought you were protecting me from when that thought popped into your head. Second, you deliberately disobeyed orders. From what I understand, Blaze didn't really give you a choice of whether or not you wanted me to participate. It was your job to pass the mission along to me and you failed. I thought we were partners, equals, but now I realize that I'm nothing more than your girlfriend." I turn away from him and walk to the window. I watch the miniature palm trees planted in Annie's front yard sway in the soft sea breeze.

The bed groans as Gale stands. "Are you kidding me, Katniss? That's really what you think? Then you're more stubborn and pigheaded than I ever realized. Of course we're partners. I did what I did for you and you know that. You're mad because-well-I have to be honest, I'm not even really sure at this point! I understand that this probably should have been your decision, but I'm not sure you're in any position to make a good one!"

With that, my eyes flash and I turn back to him slowly. "Oh really," I deadpan. "In that case, don't let me burden you with my poor decision making anymore." I yank my suitcase off the bed, stomp out of the room, and down the hall. I hear the door slam behind me and, seconds later, another loud bang sounds as Gale hits the wall with a fist.

I flop down on the bed and then immediately pop back up. I'm too keyed up to just lay there and stew. Pacing around the room, my anger grows and ferments into something ugly. I'm angry at Gale for not telling me about the mission, of course, but most accurately, I'm mad at him for not trusting my strength enough to let me make my own decision. I know he was just trying to protect me, but he of all people should know that if we're to truly be together, he's got to give me time and space to work things out on my own.

I hear stomping down the hall and a loud pounding on my door. "Katniss!" Gale roars. "You let me in! We're not just letting this go!" I fling the door open and stare him up and down. "No one was letting this go," I growl. "I'm trying not to say anything I'm going to regret. Now, if you don't mind, I need some time." My voice is firm and cold, like stone.

"Time for what?" he presses, lowering his voice dangerously. "Time to let yourself make this into a bigger deal than in needs to be? Time to push me away? Time to convince yourself that you just need to be alone for the rest of your life? Or, better yet, time to run back to Peeta?" He practically spits that last line. The malice in his voice freezes me.

"Get. Out." I say slowly. "Get out and leave me alone. You know how I feel about Peeta, but right now, I'm not sure how I feel about you." His face screws up in angst—I know that I've hurt him, but his words tear at me too. I slowly close my door and watch as he backs away. It registers to me that it's not a good sign that he didn't try to keep me from closing him out. Thoroughly exhausted and unwilling to think about what's just happened, I crawl into bed, still fully clothed, and cry bitter tears until I finally fall into a disturbed, dreamless sleep.