A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews I really enjoy reading every single one of them! Sorry that I'm slacking so much on the updates! I've just been busy! My friend is about to pop out a kid and I just had my first day of phlebotomy class! But thankfully, I had the day off of work so I have a little bit of time to catch up on this story! It's a little shorter than usual, but I hope you enjoy it just the same! Lots of love!

Chapter 21

There's an announcement, and I realize it is now morning. Cato hasn't moved yet, and I dread the moment I have to move out of his arms. Now that coin knows I'm here, I'm sure I can't just hide out in Cato's room for the week. Plus, Crispin is sure to need his room sometime soon.

As I'm wondering how my living situation is going to work this week, there's a sharp knock on the door. Cato shoots up quickly and crawls over me to the door. He gives me a look before he opens it slowly. There's a man's voice on the other side of the door and I almost think I recognize it. Cato nods a few times before shutting the door and then turns back to me.

He smiles as he sees the confused look on my face. "That was Boggs. He was just letting me know that I have duty today. And that Coin has allowed you to stay here for the remainder of your stay." He grins at me and I can't help but grin back. Maybe it won't be so bad staying here. I mean, the fear of Coin killing me is still there, but it isn't as dominant as it once was.

"But what about Crispin?" I ask, remembering that Cato does indeed have a roommate.

"He's bunking with Gale for the week." Cato says as he digs through his closet, looking for his uniform. He finds it and begins undressing right in front of me. At first I'm in shock, but then I remember that I have definitely seen him naked on more than one occasion and I should really just get over it already. But it's so hard not to stare. Even though I've seen him like this quite a few times, I don't think I'll ever be able to get over the sight. I watch his back muscles ripple as he pulls off his shirt and turns to toss it at me. I giggle, snatching it out of the air before it can hit me. He pulls on his pants quickly, and I take in the sight of his stomach as he turns around. Being here has done nothing but make his muscles bulge even more. His abdominal muscles stand out even more as well, and I remember the way they looked with water running down them. They almost reminded me of the rocks under the waterfall, disrupting the stream in such a beautiful way.

"Like what you see?" He asks and I look up at his face. I hadn't realized I was staring at him. My cheeks burn as he laughs at me, and I throw his dirty shirt back at him.

"Go to work already, would you?" I say, embarrassed that he's caught me staring at him once again.

"I don't want to leave you here all alone." He says, his voice turning serious.

"I don't think Coin is going to hurt me, Cato. She wants me to be her little puppet, remember?" I say more confidently than I feel.

"I'm not worried about her coming after you, I'm worried about you going out and looking for trouble." He has a stern look on his face and I can't help but laugh at him.

"Okay, Dad. I promise I will behave myself while you're working. When will you be off?" I start to get out of bed, realizing I should get dressed so I can at least walk down the hallway with him. I don't have my bearings here yet, so I'm sure I would get lost if I tried to find anything from this room.

He shakes his head at me, trying to hide his grin. "I'll be back before dinner, hopefully. When you're dressed, I can take you to the dining hall. You shouldn't get too lost on that floor." He kisses my forehead before heading into the bathroom.

I sort through my bag and realize I only brought one extra pair of clothes. I wasn't expecting to be here for so long. Oh well, I sigh. It isn't as if I've always had a clean pair of clothes to put on. I sniff the clothes I wore when I arrived and decide that they smell clean enough to put back on. Cato emerges from the bathroom just as I'm wiggling back into my pants.

He grins at me and I smile back, shaking my head. "I didn't pack for an extended stay." I gesture at my wrinkled clothes and he just smiles.

"You still look beautiful, no matter what you wear." My heart drops. Beautiful. I bet Cato has seen many girls who have been way more attractive than me, but I try not to think of that. Instead, I just smile at him to let him know I accept his compliment. "While you're up at the mess hall, you can get yourself some standard issue District 13 clothes. But I have to warn you, it's worse than the bunker clothes." He chuckles as he grabs my hand, leading me towards the door.

We make our way down the twisting hallways, into elevators, up stairs, and down more hallways until I start to hear chattering coming from a large room. When we enter, I'm amazed by how many people are in here. Cato notices my jaw drop, and explains. "Everyone here has to eat at the same time."

"Oh." I say as I follow him to the line. The lady behind the counter gives me a dirty look, fully aware that I am not from here.. But Cato sweet talks her and I end up with a decent amount of mush on my plate. I begin to wrinkle my nose at it, but stop. The bunker has spoiled me, apparently. Back before the games, I would have been quite happy with this amount of food.

We make our way through the maze of tables when Crispin calls us over. I grimace as I realize Gale is also sitting at that table, but Cato doesn't seem to notice, or care. We sit down across from Crispin and I stare down at my food. I don't want to make eye contact with Gale, as I'm sure he's trying to burn a hole through the top of my head with his glare.

Crispin and Cato chat like there's nothing wrong, and I'm amazed. I'm really thankful that Crispin has decided to become friends with Cato, although I couldn't say I would blame him if he still hated him. At least he has a legitimate excuse, unlike Gale.

"So, you're still here?" Gale mutters from across the table. I glance at Cato and Crispin, but they are too deep in conversation to even notice.

"Looks like it." I say back, still not making eye contact with him.

"Dammit, Katniss. You shouldn't have stayed." The volume in his voice rises with his anger, but still no one notices.

"I didn't have a choice, Gale. Coin asked me to stay. I can't really say no to her—again."

"What?" He asks, curiosity taking over the anger.

"She wanted me to be the face of the rebellion, but I told her no." I say flatly, not really wanting to explain anything to him.

Gale chuckles, but it's cold. "And you believed her? She tried to put a bullet in your skull, remember?" I shudder as he says that, anger coming back to his voice.

"I don't want to fight, Gale. It's early. Please." I look up at him with pleading eyes. I don't want to remember everything Coin said to me yesterday. I don't want to think about any of that at all.

"Fine." He mutters, turning back down to his food. Crispin and Cato begin laughing hysterically, so I turn to listen in on their conversation.

"—and then when he got real close to the bush, a bunny jumped out! I kid you not, he almost wet himself." Crispin says through his laughter and Cato cracks up.

"Man, I would have loved to see that. Moss is such a sissy." Cato remarks, still grinning. Then Crispin turns to me.

"So, Katniss. What do you think of District 13 so far?"

"Well—it's different, I guess." I'm at a loss for words. I don't want to seem ungrateful, but I do hate it here. The bunker is a much better place for me. I don't have to look over my shoulder every second there. And I'm allowed outside. And the food is MUCH better. But I don't want to say any of that.

Cato and Crispin both laugh before Crispin continues. "Yeah, we know how you feel. But it isn't that bad, once you get used to it. Cato tells me he's going back with you next week." This catches Gale's attention, and he cocks his head to the side, just listening.

"He is. And I'm glad. Sorry I'm going to be stealing your roommate away, though." I say as Cato wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me in closer to him.

"That's alright with me. I'm switching to Gale's room anyways. He doesn't snore quite as loud as Cato." He puts his arm around Gale's shoulder, and Gale tries to shake him off with no luck. I can see Gale grin a little, and it makes me happy knowing he still has a soul somewhere in there.

"Right! Well we'll see how long Gale can stand your gas. I can guarantee you'll be out on your butt within a week." Cato shoots back at him playfully. Gale stiffens as Cato says his name, but relaxes again quickly.

Crispin laughs, being a good sport. Gale looks up at his watch and stands up, tapping Crispin on the shoulder. He nods at the clock on the wall and Crispin sighs, standing up as well.

"Well, it's been great, but we have to go. See you up there, Cato?" He asks, grabbing his tray from the table. Cato nods and glances up at the clock and then back down at his food.

"Stay out of trouble, Catnip." Gale mumbles before leaving, and we make eye contact. He gives me a half smile and I return it. I know he's been horrible to me lately, but he was my best friend for so long, it can't hurt to send him a little smile.

"Catnip?" Cato questions when they exit the room.

"It's just a nickname for me. He misheard me say my name the day we met and it kind of stuck." I shrug, and the happy memory of Gale and I makes me smile. I want that Gale back. The one who could joke with me.

"Oh. It's kind of cute." He says, grinning back. I realize he could have reacted completely different, and I admire him for taking the high road. "Well, I better be off too. Please stay out of trouble. I'll see you tonight." He stands up and kisses my forehead. Then he leans closer and whispers in my ear. "I love you."

Butterflies flutter around in my stomach as I look up at him. "I love you, too." I mumble before grabbing his face in my hands and pulling his lips to meet mine. We break apart too soon for me, but I know he has to go. He grins at me and waves as he walks out the door.

And then I'm alone. I have no idea what I am going to do for an entire day, but exploring almost seems scary now. I shake my head, scolding myself for being such a baby. I used to do everything myself. Now I'm getting nervous about spending a day alone.

I look around the cafeteria and realize that it is starting to empty. I shovel the mush down my throat and throw my tray in the bins. I have no idea where I'm going, but I try to look like I know what I'm doing as I pass people in the hallway.

People are staring at me, and I know it's because of my clothes. They all know I don't belong here. They all have matching grey clothes and I'm wearing my white shirt and khaki pants from the bunker. I stick out like a sore thumb.

Maybe that will be my first mission: finding myself some clean clothes. I stop someone in the hallway, a woman in her late thirties with a kind smile. She points me in the right direction and soon I'm getting a lecture from a man named Booker, who is cautious when handing me the clothes.

"I'm not sure I should be doing this. After all, you're just visiting. You don't even have a schedule on your arm." He glances down at my arm and I hide it self-consciously.

"I'm here because President Coin asked me to stay an extra week. I'm sure you don't want to have to deal with me wearing these for a week straight." I gesture at my clothes that are already not the cleanest. He sighs.

"Fine. But I'm only giving you one pair. And you're to give them back before you leave. Understood?" When he bends down to pick up the clothes, I roll my eyes at him. The people here are so stingy with everything.

When he hands them to me, I politely smile at him and try to make my way back to Cato's room to change. It takes me over an hour to finally find it, after asking countless people for directions. Most of the people here seem to keep to themselves. Only a few actually helped me out.

When I finally make it to the room, I exhale a deep, relaxing breath. I lay on the bed for a while, just calming myself down. I hate being lost. I hate not knowing anything about this place; not having a single thing to do. Before I know it, I'm drifting off.

I'm not out long when I feel something hit my face. I open my eyes, but I can't see anything. And then I realize that I can't breathe. I begin to panic, my arms and legs flailing around helplessly as I try to figure out what is wrong. I grab an arm and try to claw it. But my attacker presses the pillow down harder on my face and I can feel the tears prick my eyes as something in my nose pops. I try to scream, but I can tell that it is muffled too much for anyone to hear.

I'm barely hanging on, coming in and out of consciousness a few times when the pillow is lifted off my face. My attacker has been ripped off of me and I can hear a body slam into the metal door. Another slam and someone is on the ground. I can't focus on sitting up, my brain is still trying to recover from the lack of oxygen. But before I completely pass out, I find Boggs standing over me, concern in his face. I think I feel him lifting me up, but I can't be sure.

I wake up in a bright room, hazy. Someone is holding my hand and I turn to see Cato's blonde head resting on the bed. He must sense me move, because he jerks up. His eyes are puffy, like he's been crying.

"Katniss." He says, his eyes filling with tears.

"Cato. What happened?" I ask, looking around. I'm in another damn hospital room.

"Someone attacked you. Boggs—he came to check on you and make sure you were doing okay. He stopped them, but we thought it was too late. He brought you up here a few hours ago and then found me. We weren't sure if you were going to wake up." His grip tightens on my hand but I ignore it.

"Someone tried to kill me." I process, taking it all in.

"Yes. They tried to suffocate you. But Boggs took them down to the holding cells. He can't hurt you now. But we haven't found out why, yet."

A shiver runs down my spine as I realize what he's saying. "So I could still be in danger, even though he's locked up."

Cato nods solemnly and I close my eyes, hoping that when I open them again, this will all have just been a dream. But when I open my eyes I see everything is still the same.

I lean closer to Cato so no one can hear my next question. "Do you think it could be Coin?"

Cato shakes his head. "I honestly have no idea. But she's probably our best bet. I mean, she's already tried to kill you once. His eyes grow dark and I use my free hand to touch his arm.

"This isn't your fault." I say, knowing he's blaming himself for leaving me.

"But it is. I knew you were in danger. I should have sent Boggs earlier to check on you. From now on, you go nowhere alone." He's firm and I don't argue. I'm actually glad to not be alone.

"But I have to leave soon. We're going on a rescue mission in District 2 and I know it better than any of our other men. I've found someone to stay back and watch over you." His eyes darken again and I only have one guess as to who is staying with me.

And as if on command, Gale comes through the door.

"Catnip. You're awake." He smiles a little, apparently glad to see that I am for the most part, unharmed. He glances at Cato and nods. "Cato."

"Gale." Cato nods back and then turns to me. "Well, I better get going. I promise this is my last mission. And then I won't leave you again." He kisses my forehead and I'm too weak to try to steal a real kiss from him again. He looks unsure about leaving, but Gale motions for him to go and he does.

"So, you got stuck babysitting?" I try to say lightly, but he can see right through my weak attempt at hiding my real question.

"Katniss, I asked to stay back. I do care about you, you know." He sits where Cato sat, but scoots the chair a bit further away.

"I know." I say quietly, and I almost think he doesn't hear me.

"Listen, about our last few encounters—" He begins but I interrupt.

"Don't worry about it Gale." I don't want to fight with him anymore, and I know if he brings all of it up again, we're bound to argue.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. You weren't completely wrong about Cato. He's a decent guy and he really does seem to care about you. I just really care about you, Catnip. You know I would go crazy if anything ever happened to you." His eyes are filling with emotion and I'm in shock. I have never seen Gale so vulnerable. I want to reach out and comfort him, but I don't.

"You were right too. I shouldn't have come here." I gesture around the room and grin a little.

"You think?" He almost grins back, but apparently it's still a little too early to joke about the recent attempt on my life.

We sit in silence for what feels like forever. It isn't the comfortable silence we used to share out in the woods. It's uncomfortable, and I'm forced to break it.

"Why did you decide to come here? To District 13?" It's been bugging me since I heard he was leaving, but we've been so rocky lately I haven't really had the right to ask him. I probably still don't.

"I hate the Capitol. You know that better than anyone else. And if I can stop my siblings from ever having to go through what we went through, I have to try." I nod, understanding his answer perfectly. I wish I was as strong as Gale. I wish I could fight in this war alongside him, to protect Prim. But I can't be at fault for any more deaths. I can hardly believe he is okay with it. But I know his family means more than anything to him, and he'll do what he has to.

I did the same thing when I volunteered for Prim, so I hardly have the right to be skeptical of his decision.

"I'm sure they miss you." It's all I can manage to say, and I know I shouldn't have. His eyes begin to water, and I know I've upset him.

"I miss them. But they are safe and that's all that matters. How is the bunker, by the way?" He's changed the subject and I can't help but feel relieved. Neither of us is good in an awkward situation.

I begin to fill him in on everything that's been going on. I share some stories of Rory and Vick during one of my classes. Posy comes to some of my classes as well, but she doesn't really like the water so much, and we've been focusing on that a lot.

"Rory is amazing at knot tying. Finnick has told me that pretty soon, we can recruit Rory to be a teacher for that." He grins, proud that his brother is excelling at something important. He spent most of his time arguing with Rory about hunting. Rory wanted to help so badly with the hunting, but Gale refused. Now, Rory is learning all sorts of things about survival and is loving every second of it. Vick, on the other hand, is having the hardest time. "Vick got so frustrated with his knots one day, he almost threw a hissy fit in front of everyone. But Annie managed to calm him down pretty quickly. They've been pretty close since then. I think he really enjoys her company." I smile, remembering the way Annie spoke to him. She isn't one for words, but she found the perfect ones to calm Vick down that day and he's been following her around like a puppy dog ever since. Other than Finnick and I, Vick is the only person Annie seems to be normal around. She can laugh and joke with him and I sit in awe as I watch them.

Gale and I continue talking, and I catch him up on everything going on back at the bunker. He seems to have a special interest on how Madge is doing, but I don't have any new information to give him on her. Before I left, she was still strapped to that bed. They did let her out once, for one of my classes. But she became hysterical and they had to put her back before she scared all of the children who were just learning how to make shelter on the ground.

I begin to relax, and even though nurses come and go, checking my stats and my pupil dilation, it almost feels like Gale and I are back in our woods, alone and happy.