I don't think I'd ever screamed as loud as I did in that moment. The second the words left Prim's mouth, I felt a shock go through my body. I hit the ground knees first, then toppled over into my mother's arms. I was all at once relieved and horrified. He was alive, but he was kissing Katniss. My Gale was kissing Katniss Everdeen. In between my sobs, I managed to dry heave a bit, which only added to how terrible I would feel the next morning. I remember my mother smoothing my hair with her hand, and rocking me back and forth on the floor as she tried to console me. Prim knelt in front of me, squeezing my hands and repeating I'm so sorry, over and over again. The next few hours were a blur. I remembered everything in segments. Me screaming at Prim and my mother, throwing pots, dry heaving more. My mother trying to get me to eat the soup. Prim crying and sitting by the side of my bed.

I woke the next morning with a start, and began to sit up, but I was instantly met with a skull-crushing headache. I moaned loudly, lowering myself back down. Before my head touched the pillow, my bedroom door swung open. There stood Prim with a tray of soup, bread, and a cup of tea. Although her mouth was set in a straight line, her eyes were puffy and red, and I could tell she'd been crying recently.

"What are you still doing here?" I said by way of greeting, drawing my covers around myself even further.

"Your mom wouldn't let me go back in the blizzard. I'm going home today." She paused. "I, I just thought you might want some food," she said, not looking me in the eye. "You didn't eat anything yesterday."

"Well I'm probably not going to eat anything today either, so…" I said, trailing off. I had no reason to be upset at Prim. I didn't know why I was punishing her, because she hadn't really done anything wrong. But I had no one else to take it out on at the moment. So Prim became my target until I could get my hands on Katniss or Gale. Gale. I felt my eyes start to well up again, but I turned my back to Prim and sniffed up the tears.

"Please eat something, Swann. You have to cooperate."

"Oh, I have to cooperate, do I?" I snapped. "I always have to be the one to do all the work. I have to compromise, I have to cooperate, while everyone else does whatever the hell they feel like. And who has the clean up the mess every time? Me!" I was starting to get erratic now and it made my head throb even more, but I wasn't going to back down. I needed to release all the emotions bubbling up inside of me or I'd explode.

"Please calm down, Swann, I didn't mean to-"

"That's just fine, Prim, I'll take it from here," I heard my mother's voice call from the hallway. "Why don't you go to the kitchen and have a cup of tea? Swann and I will be down in a minute."

"Yes ma'am," said Prim quietly, shuffling out of my room and down the stairs, no doubt rolling her eyes at me as she left.

I let the silence sink in for a few moments before I spoke. "He kissed Katniss, Mom. It's all over now."

She laughed, grabbing my shoulder to turn me over. "It's not all over, sweetie. This is just a bump in the road, is all."

I pulled away from her, which sent another swell of pain to my head. "It's not just a bump in the road. Katniss wins again. Don't you get it?" I shouted through a grimace. "Katniss wins. She always does and she always will. She wins the Games, she wins Gale, and she wins Peeta. She gets everything and all I get is hurt."

My mother simply shakes her head, smiles again, and stands up, walking towards my door. "C'mon. Get dressed. We're going to the Everdeen's."

Although she didn't say it as a command, I knew my mother's last statement was not a suggestion. I thought about hurling my pillow at her head as she walked away, but decided against it. I barely had the wherewithal to prop myself up, much less the strength to throw anything. I screamed out of anger and exasperation, which my mother ignored, but apparently it summoned Prim. She was standing in my doorway again in seconds, visibly out of breath.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?"

I rolled towards her, regarding her with what I hoped was my most apathetic, haughty look. "Would you help me get dressed?"

It only took three sharp raps on the Everdeen's front door for Peeta to appear, bright blue eyes wide open with surprise. "Prim, you're back! Where were you?"

She opened her mouth, then closed it, looking blankly into the distance for a feasible answer. I stepped in front of her, smiling at Peeta. "She was at my house. She just came by to give me an update on Gale, and we didn't want her to come back through the snow." With that, I pushed past him into the kitchen, instantly met with a scene not unlike the one I witnessed before I left two nights before. Katniss was still nowhere to be found. Instead of the kitchen table, Gale now laid face down on a cushioned bench, and his mother slept in a nearby chair in the living room. It took everything in me not to run over to Gale and slap him on the back.

Just then, I noticed Mrs. Everdeen standing at the stove with a large wooden spoon in her hand. "Good morning, Mrs. Everdeen," I called, taking a seat at the previously occupied kitchen table.

She turned to see my face, smiled, then turned back to the stove. "Good morning, dear. I trust you brought my daughter back with you?"

"Yes ma'am," I said, nodding. I'm sure it didn't show, but I was more than a little surprised at her question. How could she have known Prim was with us? How was she not a nervous wreck by now?

She laughed, seemingly reading my mind. "I knew Prim would either be with you or the Hawthornes. She always is. So, since Hazelle is here, I knew she'd be with you. Would you tell her to come here, please?"

"Yes ma'am," I said again, and turned to the hallway where Prim still stood. "Prim!" I yelled. "Your mother needs you!"

"Don't be too loud, dear," said Mrs. Everdeen over her shoulder. "Katniss has just gone to bed."

"Mom, you know Katniss could sleep through a thunderstorm," said Prim as she bopped into the room, apparently in higher spirits than she was when we left the house. "What do you need help with?"

"Would you get a bowl of snow to mix up for Gale's back? He needs to eat some breakfast, but I don't want him to sit up just yet. You apply the snowcoat while I feed him."

"Oh no," I interjected, stepping between Prim and her mother. "Let me." Mrs. Everdeen's reluctance was clear by the look on her face, so I pressed on. "Please, I've just been so worried about Gale. I need to see him. And I have some messages from the little ones."

That actually could've been true. Mrs. Hawthorne had left the children at home under Rory's supervision, not wanting them to see Gale in so much pain. Mrs. Everdeen nodded slowly, turning back to the stove before adding, "Prim, go get the snowcoat. Swann can feed him."

I knelt in front of Gale, bowl of porridge in hand. I wanted to be the first thing he saw when he woke up. Prim bent over him with a handful of treated snow, waiting for my okay. I nodded to her, and she poured the handful onto Gale's back, instantly waking him. His grey eyes popped open almost instantly, and it took them a moment to focus before they widened again upon seeing me.

"Swann?" he asked, dumbfounded. His eyes were still filmy with sleep, and he fairly resembled a confused child who'd just been told they wouldn't receive any dessert.

"Hello, Gale," I said, brushing a few locks of his hair out of his face. "I hope you slept well. I was so worried about you."

He nodded slowly, still staring with incredible focus at my face. "Are you okay?"

I laughed. "Why wouldn't I be?" I lifted a spoonful of porridge to my mouth, blew it to help cool it down, then moved it towards Gale, who opened his mouth to receive the spoon. "I should be asking you if you're okay, not the other way around. You do remember what happened, don't you?"

"Yeah, I think so." He nodded again, now eyeing the bowl hungrily. Prim finished her application of the snowcoat, hurrying away as soon as she was done. She knew exactly what was about to happen between me and Gale, and she wanted no part in it. I continued to spoon porridge into his mouth as I talked.

"Well, I'm glad you're alright. Everyone was so worried about you and scared for you. Me, my mother, Prim, Hazelle, Rory, Vick, Posy. Even Katniss."

He perked up slightly at the mention of her name, but kept his head down in anticipation of more food. He didn't think I noticed. I did.

"So after that new Head Peacekeeper whipped you, we took you back here, which is where you've been for the past few days. Prim gave you some sleep syrup, Madge brought by some medicine, even Peeta brought fresh bread for everyone," I said. He continued nodding his head, digesting this new information while his mouth moved in slow, methodical circles, like a child struggling to swallow a mouthful of honey. "Everyone pitched in to help you, Gale. I just hope those kisses did the trick."

He stopped mid-chew, no longer looking down but refusing to look me in the eye. "But Swann, you...and Katniss...I thought you…" His eyes clouded over again and his brow was furrowed in thought. I could tell he was having a difficult time putting his thoughts together.

"Well, you know what they say. Love conquers all. That, and time." I stood up, leaving the half-eaten bowl of porridge inches away from Gale's face. He twisted on the bench, freeing one of his arms from beneath his body to pull at my skirt.

"Swann, just listen, I didn't-"

"Prim!" I shouted. She scurried into the room before I had the chance to call again. "Prim, would you finish feeding Gale for me? I'd like to go upstairs and make sure Katniss is alright."

Her eyebrows raised at the second half of my sentence, but she nodded anyway, picking up the bowl to continue feeding Gale. "Alright," she said with a shrug.

"Swann, please wait. You don't understand what-"

But that was as much as I heard. The rest of his sentence was drowned out by the sound of my boots, stomping up the beautifully carved wooden stairs to Katniss's room.