Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, they are Suzanne Collins' creations. However, I have nudged a few things in different directions than the book or movie. Feel free to love or hate my story, but please tell me how you feel.

Also, the last chapter was a little serious, so I should make it clear. Domestic Violence is wrong. Treating others like they're beneath you is wrong. I just knew that Peeta was a better person than his mom, which is why he stands distant from her. He didn't take Katniss back in, but you're about to see him defend her when he goes back in the bakery. Enjoy!

PLEASE REVIEW! :)

Chapter 10- Gale and Peeta

Gale saw the concern on Peeta's face for Katniss, the moment that they walked up. Sure, he saw how happy Peeta was with Katniss, which he thought was great. So far, Peeta seemed to be a good guy. Peeta hadn't given Gale any details earlier, but just by the tone of his voice, Gale knew that he and Madge needed to come.

Gale turned away from Peeta for a second to watch Katniss walk away, she and Madge arm in arm.

He turned back to see Peeta standing on his feet. "Thank you for coming, Gale."

"What happened, Peeta?"
"My mother.. I never dreamed.." Peeta breathed in and spoke fast, knowing that Gale needed to go soon enough.

"My mother is a cruel and vindictive woman," Peeta said in a hushed voice, so it wouldn't carry over the field. "I left Katniss with her for two minutes, long enough for me to walk to the back and put these cake pieces on a platter." Peeta looked down and Gale heard guilt and sadness mingle in his voice. "I never dreamed that she would talk to Katniss that way, so when I came out and Katniss was gone, I had no idea what had happened. I rushed out of the store and she was about half a block away." He gulped. "I caught up to her and she told me that my... that that vile woman had told her that 'Katniss wasn't good enough for me.'" Gale's face recoiled in shock, both at the words that had been told to Katniss and in the protective ring in Peeta's voice. "She said that she would call the cops on her." Pain and anger melded in Peeta's face and Gale knew that he would never hurt Katniss on purpose.

"Peeta, you know that this isn't your fault, right?"
Peeta looked up, hopeful and sad. "Isn't it? I should have never left her alone."

"Do you really think your.. that woman would have said anything different if you were there?"

Peeta thought for a moment, then shook his head. "But I would've been there to defend her."

Gale said, "Katniss, as you know, can take care of herself." He sighed, looking at Peeta. "She must really care about you."

Peeta shrank back. "Why do you say that?"

Gale laughed sadly, "Since when does Katniss let anyone boss her around?"

Peeta cringed. "She thought that.. that my mother," venom dripping from the word mother, "was right. That she wasn't good enough for me."

Peeta shook his head and Gale said, "What'd you tell Katniss?"

Peeta gave him a small smile, "I told that she is too good for me."
Gale smiled back at Peeta, "That's the best thing you could've said."

Peeta looked him in the eyes, determination in his gaze. "It's true."

Gale nodded, hearing Madge honk in the distance. "I think you might have shot, Peeta." He walked away smiling to himself, wondering if Madge saw the same thing that he was beginning to see.

Peeta watched Gale walk away, feeling a sort of anger rising up in the pit of his belly.

"It's okay, Peeta. She was right."

Peeta realized that it was about time he told his mother a thing or two. Peeta felt himself preparing to rip one into his mother the moment that he walked into the bakery. Thinking about how long it had been, how many times he had wanted to let her just how badly he hated her.

He walked in the bakery and saw her talking to his father, his father looking down the same way Katniss had. His mother hadn't noticed that he had walked in to the store. "I can't believe that you would let our son hang out with that kind of riffraff, acting all polite, like she isn't very well trying to get free food from the store, just because she thinks that she is good enough to be his friend. I decide," her face had contorted into one of pure rage. "I DECIDE! Do you HEAR ME!"

"No, you don't." Peeta said it, hearing the calm tilt to his voice. He had to show her that he meant this. It wasn't an emotional, little kid outburst that would go away.

She looked at him, the rage amplifying. She stormed over yelling, "Who DO YOU THINK YOU-"

"You will never speak to Katniss Everdeen like that, ever again."

"What are you going to do about it?" she sneered.

"I'll call the cops," he said.

Her eyes showed the waver in her resolve. "You coward- you don't have the guts. A real man wouldn't-"

"A real person of either gender would not be cruel and vindictive. A real woman would be loving and caring. Katniss Everdeen is more of a woman than you'll ever be."

His father looked up, as if he were watching storm clouds dissipate.

"Katniss," she sneered. "You mean the little girl who nearly cried, who ran away."

"She left out respect for me, you evil creature." He heard the darkness, the determination vibrating out towards her.

When she heard his voice, she flinched. "A real man wouldn't talk to a lady like that!" She raised her hand to slap him and he caught her by the wrist.

"A real lady wouldn't abuse her son or her husband." He threw her hand down. "A real lady would realize that there are other ways to deal with grief besides violence." He looked her in the eyes. She looked as if she had been slapped. "I have the x-rays to prove my injuries and his," he said, pointing at his father. "I will call the cops if the following ever happens again, until I have received my trust fund and left this house."

He held his hand, numbering them off, "First, if you ever," he let the protective darkness cascade over his words, "and I do mean, ever talk to the woman that I love like that again, I'll call them. Second, if you ever hit me or Dad, or any of the other kids, ever again, I'll call them. Third, if you ever talk down to that extraordinarily good man over there ever again, I'll call them. You WILL get counseling. You WILL get better. Once I leave, this is no longer my concern, because if major changes don't happen, I'll never come back."

Her mouth was rounded out in a small 'o' and her eyes showed fear. "I'll never hurt you, mother, unless you break these rules, and then, I'll only call the cops." He sounded firm. "I'll never lay a hand on you. I'll never lie to you. Agreed?"

She just nodded. He smiled. "Good. Go home and make dinner. Dad and I will close the shop." He walked past her with authority, his dad looking hopeful." She looked at him, as if she were about to scream, raising her hand, and saw her reflection in the stainless steel of the kitchen door.

She lowered her hand, looking ashamed.

"Goodbye Mom!" he said. She looked around and said, "You've never called me that before."

"You've never been nice before." She looked down nodding and walked out of the store.

His father looked like the shock was finally setting in and Peeta just said, "Grab a chair, Dad." His father sat down and Peeta handed him a blueberry scone, thinking of Katniss.

He laughed softly to himself, trying to imagine a world where Katniss wasn't good enough for him. Even in all of the parallel universes, he knew that that wasn't possible. It couldn't exist.

Gale sat in the back seat, watching Madge joke with Katniss, but Katniss was in another world.

"Catnip." She sat up, looking back to him.

"Are you going to tell us about it?" They were getting close to her house. Prim already had chocolate and a romantic comedy cued up and at the ready.

She shrugged.

"Are you okay, Kat?" Madge asked.

Katniss shook her head. No.

"Can we help?" Kat nodded. Yes.

"How?" Kat looked to Madge, sadness in her voice. "You can apologize to Peeta for me."

"What?" Gale asked.

"Tell him I'm sorry." Her voice sounded dull and weak. "Tell him I'm sorry that I can't tutor him tomorrow."

"Why not?" Madge asked.

"His mom doesn't want us to be friends."

"So what?" Gale asked.

"I have to respect her wishes."

Gale shook his head.

"What if I could prove that wasn't true for Peeta? That Peeta doesn't care what his mom said?"

"He said I was too good for him." She chuckled, weakly. "As if I was ever good enough."

Madge looked to him, shocked, worried. He felt the same way. "We're coming in," Gale said, looking to Madge for confirmation.

Madge smiled, looking relieved that he had suggested it. He chuckled to himself, thinking about how sweet Madge was to not want to hurt his feelings. They both knew that Katniss needed them more.

"'Kay." Katniss said it, then looked dazed out the window again.

Gale pulled out his cell phone, texting Peeta.

G: Peeta, you there?

P: Yeah, what's up?

G: I need you to call the number I give, whenever I tell you.

P: Okay. Can I ask why?

G: You'll know when the phone gets answered.

P: *thumbs up*

Gale shrugged the phone back into his pocket, after texting Peeta the Everdeen house phone number. They got to the house and Prim opened the door, running out to Katniss. Gale wondered when he had gone from punching him to using him to cheer up Katniss.

Katniss, seeing Prim, smiled and stood up, the strong Katniss back in place, as much as it could be.

"Do you mind if we stay for a while, Prim?"

"Of course not. I just finished dinner. Come on in." Katniss smiled, her arm around Prim.

"What did you make, little duck?"

"Your favorite, potato casserole." Katniss smiled, nodding, "You know how to treat a girl when she is down."

Prim looked from Madge to Gale, a worried look on her face. Katniss never admitted to having a weakness.

They walked into the house, talking like a family. Katniss started to come out of herself for a little while, until Prim asked her how school had been today. Then, it seemed, Katniss started to sink again.

Prim stood up, splashing Katniss in the face with a glass of water. Katniss gasped, looking down at her shirt, moping her hair out her face and the water from her face. They had not even eaten dinner yet.

"Prim!"

"Tell me what happened!"

"You just doused me with water!"

"Tell! ME!" Gale and Madge laughed in the background and Katniss sighed, slumping back into her seat.

"Recorders. Phones, Paper, everything. You know the drill."

Everyone put all of the stuff that they had on the counter, as Gale finished the text he was sending.

G: Nvm.

G: Come to this address in 30 min

Gale shared his location with Peeta and saw Peeta immediately text back, "Will do."

They walked out toward the backyard and Madge was patted down, then Gale, then Prim.

Katniss, as usual, was right to have checked. She pulled a recorder out of her bottom pocket and threw it onto Prim's bed. They all walked out into the middle of her backyard and sat on the ground.

"Okay, now everyone repeat after me.

"I will not," Katniss said. "I will not," the voices chorused.

"in any way" "in any way"

"with anyone" "with anyone"

"even friends and family" "even friends and family"

"repeat what Katniss says." She finished. "Repeat what Katniss says," they finished, all used to the routine that Katniss had made due to her sister's ability to sneak past loop holes.

"I went with Peeta to taste cakes." Everyone was leaning in intently, paying close attention to her story. "Well, we went to the bakery in Peeta's car and when I went inside, Peeta told me that he'd be back in a minute, so I was looking at the amazing stuff that they had in the glass case. I heard the woman behind the counter say kind of rudely, 'Who are you?'" She gulped. "I thought she was talking to someone, but we were the only two up front. So, I said. 'Hello, I'm Katniss Everdeen, Peeta's friend.' I realized that she must be his mother, so I said, 'You must be his mother. I am sorry that I didn't introduce myself. I was just fascinated by your baked goods.'" She looked down, "I wanted to be nice, because Peeta has been so nice to me."

Everyone stared at her, willing her to continue. Gale was wondering what she had been really thinking during all of this. Did Katniss like Peeta? He was asking himself, but he was pretty sure that she did.

"It went silent for a minute, so I started looking at the case again," Katniss said. "Then, she said. 'You should leave.' I asked, 'Me?'" She looked down again, everyone silent.

"'Yes, you. You obviously aren't good enough to be with my son.'

'I'm just his friend. I think I am good enough for that.'

'No, you are not. I decide who he gets to be friends with, and I'm telling you to leave now. Before I call the cops. You probably wouldn't have the money to buy anything anyways.'" Katniss blushed, though she was more pale than ever.

Gale saw another tear slide down Kat's cheek and he fought back his anger, thinking about his response seemed to blanche in comparison with Peeta's.

"So, I left. Not that any of you know this," her blush deepened.

Prim gasped. "Do you like him, Katniss?"

Katniss, looking down, said, "Yeah." Gale had never heard Kat so.. dejected in his whole life.

"That's awesome!" Madge said.

"He would be lucky to have you," Gale said, letting his love for Katniss ring out. She was like a little sister to him. She deserved to be happy.

Kat shook her head and he nearly interrupted, when he heard her say, "When she said it, I knew she was right. He's smart and handsome and rich and talented and so, so nice." Kat smiled wearily at her feet, sounding relieved. Gale realized it was probably the first time she'd allowed herself to saw any of this. He heard her choke on the word, nice. He wanted to reach out, but he needed to let her finish. "Of course," she laughed at the ground, "Peeta ran after me while I was walking to the bus stop. He said that I was too good for him, as if." She sniffed, her voice growing stronger. "He took me to the park and he refused to cancel the tasting." She sighed. "I wish that..." She shook her head, "But i'm not."

"Like hell you're not," Madge said.

"Yeah," Prim said, tearing up, "you're so amazing, Katniss. He would be so lucky..." She scooted over to hug Katniss and Madge did the same.

A knock sounded on the door. Gale smiled, hoping Katniss wouldn't kill him, but reveling in his perfect timing.

"So, now might be a good time to mention that I told Peeta to come to your house and that's him. I'll get the door," he added, as Katniss' face transformed in shock.

"You did what?"

Madge and Prim immediately moved into action, fixing Kat's hair and wiping away her tears. Then he saw Prim run back out of the house, carrying a Kleenex. Once she was back outside, he opened the door, to face Peeta.

Peeta had no clue where he was, but he had a suspicion that it was Katniss' house.

He knocked, hearing some people talk in the backyard, but not loud enough to be overheard. He knocked again, hoping that he had come to the right place.

Gale opened the door, a smile on his face.

"Hey. Peeta, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." Peeta wondered why he'd driven all the way here to answer a question.

"Do you like Katniss?" Gale smiled, as if he already knew.

Peeta lowered his voice. "Yeah. Quite a bit."

"Good. Come in," Gale said it as if it had been a prerequisite to him coming inside.

He walked in and Gale walked Peeta through to the living room, to where Peeta could see all parts of the house, including the path to the backyard.

"So, Peeta. Katniss is in the backyard. She just told us what happened today. I think you are the guy, to uh.." Gale coughed, "clear things up."

He looked at Peeta as if he was trying to let him in on a secret.

"Clear what up?" he asked, leaning closer.

"Clear up some confusion about what we talked about at the door."

Peeta leaned back, his face unsure.

"Are you sure that I should... right now?"

"She needs to hear it." Gale sighed. "Come inside when you guys are done talking and we'll eat."

Peeta saw Madge and another girl, about Rue's age, come inside.

Peeta moved forward. "You must be Prim." He held out his hand. "I'm Peeta."

Prim smiled, giving a curt nod. "You have my permission." Peeta blushed as she shook his hand, then moved past him to the kitchen. Madge just pointed to the backyard and gave her mom stare, that said "go out there and talk, now."

Peeta held up his hands, surrendering and walked out back. He saw Katniss standing out in the middle of the yard, her back to him, as she watched the sunset.

He took a breath and stepped forward.