A/N: Thanks for all the kind reviews! I'm really enjoying writing this, so it's nice to know that folks are enjoying reading it, too!

By the time Gale returns, I've devised a plan. The hardest part will be getting away from him so I can arrange everything. I'm hopeful that if I pretend I'm willing to help the Nationalists, he'll cut me a little slack, though.

When he walks through the door, he tosses me a large duffel bag. "Make sure you wear what's in here whenever you go outside."

"Okay."

"Are you hungry?"

"No."

He holds a sandwich out to me anyway. "You have to eat, Katniss."

I reluctantly take it from his hands and place it on the floor in front of me.

After lowering himself next to me on the mattress, he takes a large bite of his lunch. Once he swallows, he says, "So… I was thinking maybe we could go hunting today."

That surprises me. "Don't you need to save the world?" I ask, picking at the ragged edge of the wool blanket.

"I can take a few hours off."

"Why?"

"We're waiting to see what happens with Hani's team before we move forward with anything else."

I roll my eyes and look at him. "That's not what I meant. Why do you want to go hunting?"

Shrugging, he says, "I miss it. The peacefulness of the woods, the sense of being in complete control."

It seems like he wants to say more, but he bites his lower lip and focuses on the scuffed floorboards instead.

Hunting with Gale could work to my advantage. If I go with him and put on a good show to convince him I'm fine, maybe he'll stop hovering over me. Plus, I could really use the target practice. I don't have long before I'll need to be in top shape again.

"Okay." I say.

His head shoots up in surprise. "Well, that was easy. I'll get us a ride." Pulling up his shirtsleeve, he reveals a communicuff encircling his wrist.

"How can you use that without Coin knowing?" I ask.

"Beetee reprogrammed them. We're on a different frequency, and he scrambled all the waves, so no one can listen in."

He exits the room and begins talking to someone. Not even 30 seconds later, he leans his head through the door and says, "Meet me upstairs in 20 minutes."

After picking at my sandwich for a bit, I open the duffel bag and choose an outfit that will have to suffice for hunting. The bright colors will make it difficult to blend into nature, but at least the material is sturdy and should provide some protection against the underbrush.

I quickly dress and then finish the disguise by donning a blond wig. When I enter the bar, Gale's gaze meets mine. He covers his mouth with his hand and I know he's stifling a laugh.

"What?" I ask, irritated.

"Nothing." Wrinkles appear at the corners of his eyes, letting me know that he's smiling behind his fist. "Blond is a good look for you."

I flash him an angry scowl and head outside where Haymitch is behind the wheel of a beat-up, powder blue car that has clearly seen better days. Gale takes a seat in front and I climb in back, next to Gale's old game bag. I open it and find both of our bows inside. Gale must have grabbed my belongings from Coin's office yesterday. I slide my fingers along the smooth wood, finding comfort in something that is so much a part of me. Something that will help me bring justice to this screwed up world we live in.

Thirty minutes later, we're on the outskirts of the Capitol. Houses are farther apart and there are even fewer people on the streets. Compared to the city center, it looks like this neighborhood fared much better during the revolution. But despite the lack of intended damage, this area appears to have been neglected for years. Colorful paint peels off the houses, overgrown grass and weeds occupy the front yards, and tattered garments hang from clotheslines in the backyards. I didn't realize the Capitol had areas that weren't perfect. It makes me wonder what these people did to upset Snow.

"Where are we going?" I ask impatiently. "There were holes in the city wall back where we were—we could have easily slipped into the woods from there."

"Yeah, and have Coin's guards see us. According to Paylor, they don't patrol this area, so we should be safer here," Gales says from the front seat.

We continue following the wall until we find a hole big enough to crawl through.

"Be careful," Haymitch says in farewell. "And meet me back here at sixteen hundred hours."

We quickly scurry out of the car and under the cover of trees. I can't believe how much better I feel once we've escaped the city. The forest is different from our forest, but the towering trees and chirping birds bring a tranquility I haven't felt in a while. I didn't realize how stifling the Capitol has been. I yank off the blond wig and hook it through my belt, enjoying the wind against my neck.

Then, I begin running. I have no purpose, but the freedom is exhilarating. I run away from the Capitol, and Coin, and even Paylor. I run from the pain that being in the Capitol has always brought me. I run from the memories of the night before. I pump my legs hard and go deeper and deeper into the forest until the rays of sun are replaced by dark shadows and the ground beneath my feet shifts from grass to rich soil covered in pine needles.

Eventually the pounding in my chest is too overwhelming. Out of breath, I stop, bend over, and rest my hands on my thighs. Gale easily jogs to my side, not even panting. If my plan is to be successful, I'll need to get back in shape. Exercise must become a priority.

"Feel better?" he asks with a tentative smile.

I nod. "Why aren't you even breathing heavy?"

"Because I'm inherently a better athlete than you."

I roll my eyes. "Seriously."

He shrugs. "I've been working out. Jogging five miles a day. Want to join me tomorrow morning?"

"Maybe."

The shock is apparent on his face, but he says nothing. Instead, he opens the game bag and hands me my bow and quiver. I place them on my back and relish in the feeling of completeness. It's been too long since I've been in the woods with my bow. With Gale. Yes, even he is adding to the sense of normalcy.

We walk in silence for a few minutes until we reach a bluff overlooking a river bed. It's the perfect spot to catch animals coming up for a drink. Without exchanging a word, we both kneel on the ground, pulling our bows to the front and waiting for the first unfortunate animal.

We hear the rustling of leaves before we see them. Two small does step out from the trees and walk to the water's edge. Gale pulls back on his arrow and they still, sensing something in the air. After a moment, one leans her head down to lap at the water, giving Gale the opportunity he needs. He releases the arrow. It's a clean shot through the heart, and the animal collapses to the ground immediately. The other doe scurries off the way it had come.

Gale looks at me. "I thought you'd take the other one."

A deer is no challenge. I'm looking for a rabbit or squirrel, something that will test my skills, so I know exactly how much work I have to do.

I shrug. "We have limited space to bring game back with us."

"That's never stopped you before," he snorts.

Just then, a squirrel appears on the other side of the river. I quickly take aim, but the cast on my left arm is cumbersome. My wrist doesn't move like it should. I try to compensate for the limited range of motion, but when I release the arrow, it lands solidly in a tree behind the squirrel.

Gale lets out a deep laugh. "Not even close! Maybe you should wait until your arm heals."

I scowl because I'm worried he's right. But I don't have time to wait for it to heal. I need to learn how to shoot with it. I spend the next hour on a mission. I'm a mad woman relentlessly pursuing the unsuspecting squirrels of the forest one after another. Every miss propels me forward with even greater intensity. Even after I begin hitting them, I'm not satisfied. I continue moving through the woods taking fastidious aim until I finally land an arrow through an eye. I run to my prize and hold it up triumphantly.

"Will you let the poor squirrels live in peace now?" Gale teases from behind me. Intent on my mission, I had totally forgotten he was with me.

He walks my way, carrying all the squirrels I had killed before the final one.

"I'm guessing squirrel isn't a delicacy in the Capitol," he says, "but, maybe Tallis can make it into a stew or something, and no one will notice."

I finally let out a long breath and allow my muscles to relax. No doubt Gale is thinking I've totally lost it. So much for convincing him I'm fine.

Then, he punches me playfully in the arm. "Not bad—it only took 12 squirrels to get your deadly accuracy back."

I can't help but smile. He doesn't think I'm crazy. He just knows I'm a perfectionist when it comes to hunting. We walk back to where he shot the deer and I sit with my feet in the river as he cleans his catch.

"Thanks for coming out here with me", he says, sliding his knife under the animal's hide. Once he's exposed the leg muscles, he continues, "You look better out here. Maybe you're right—maybe it would be best for you to go home."

I do feel better out here, there's no doubting that. Focusing on hunting took my mind off of Peeta for the first time since everything fell apart. Unfortunately, as soon as I sit still for a couple minutes, it all comes rushing back with a vengeance. I swallow the lump forming in my throat.

Gale continues talking. "I'll go back as often as I can to visit and make sure everything's okay. We could get my mom and the kids to move back from District 13, too. They could stay with you to help out. You know, cook, help with the cleaning…"

He's already started making plans. "Stop Gale. It's fine. I'm staying. I'm going to help the Nationalists," I say quietly.

He momentarily stops what he's doing. "Why?"

I look to the ground because I can't lie to his face. "I want to help."

"Of course—Katniss Everdeen, the world renowned humanitarian. Are you sure you don't have an ulterior motive?"

How does he know me so well? "Nope," I say, running my fingers through the pine needles on the ground in front of me.

He grunts and continues working on the deer. He knows something is up. I'll need to be even more careful than I thought.

We're quiet the rest of the afternoon. I think about Peeta and how to keep Gale out of the way of my revenge. I'm sure Gale is wondering what I'm up to. We meet Haymitch right on time and arrive back at Headquarters as the group reconvenes. This time I sit at the table in Peeta's old place. People regard me out of the corners of their eyes, but no one comments on my sudden presence.

Paylor doesn't waste any time. "We've had some major developments. Everyone be seated," she says authoritatively, as she strides through the door. "Hani's team successfully landed in Eurasia. They're currently in discussions with governmental authorities, but early information indicates Eurasia has not made threats to Panem. It appears that Coin is spreading misinformation to her Cabinet members."

"Surprise, surprise," Gale murmurs under his breath.

Paylor gives him a warning glance and continues, "Unfortunately, that's not the most troubling news."