Luckily Gale and I get out of our alone time without much hardship. We meet the others back in the main room and for a while we all discuss the arena and our plans for tomorrow -most of which involves travelling back and forth between our base and the cornucopia.

Bea only stays awake for the important stuff, like the Capitol announcements, then once again falls asleep where she and Toby had been earlier. Ann and Henry leave the huddled group to their own little blanket island. Finally, when Gale can't keep his eyes open, I force him to lay down and get some sleep. He refused to leave my side so he's cuddled on my left, his back just touching my knee so he knows easily that I'm still beside him.

Toby, sitting just five feet away, is finally trying his best not to stare at me. Every time he catches himself glancing my way, he apparently scolds himself and consciously focuses on his hands and the dark world around us. I'm not worried, I don't feel awkward, I just want him to stop avoiding eye contact like I'm friggen Medusa.

I glance towards the sword to my right and consider my options. I can try to talk to him, or I can ignore him. I am tired, so I should probably just get some sleep..

I sigh, loudly, and Toby looks up at me with a blank expression. I eye him wearily and say, "I think there's something we should-"

"Talk about? Yeah. But maybe not while your protector is sleeping right beside you?"

"Gale? Look at him. He's like a giant teddy bear right now. Are you afraid of teddy bears?"

"When they look like him? Terrified." We grin at each other for a few moments then he looks down again and frowns, "I don't want to kill you, Meg."

"That's..."

"Not what I said before. I know. But now..." He shakes his head and stares out the window behind me, "I think I need you to be on my side?"

For several moments, out of shock, I say nothing. Gale stirs and I pat his side. He calms and I turn back to Toby. "And why is that?"

Oddly enough he sounds both defeated and pissed off. The defeated part is what's odd. "Because the rest of our team-" he nearly spits the word," -doesn't trust me. It's my own fucking fault but I won't go down like this. They look at you like you're a fucking goddess. If you give the okay, they'll at least tolerate me for a while longer."

"And what's in it for me, exactly?"

He stares into my eyes for a moment, "I won't kill you?"

"That's not very convincing."

"What do you want, then?"

"I want you to trust me and I want to be able to trust you. A truce. because I know you're still going to try to kill me."

"Am I that obvious?" He sighs. "Okay, so what? I don't make it so obvious that I want you dead, and you act friendly towards me?"

"How about this, hmm? Since we'll all split off eventually. While I'm still around, you don't even think about killing me. Not even if it's your own version of counting sheep."

"And you'll-"

"We will tolerate each other. Help each other. Sound good?"

"So we act like friends and I'm not allowed to fantasize about killing you?" I nod at him. He falls back against the blankets, one arm over his face. "This is hell. This is absolute. Fucking. Hell."

"But you agree?"

"I have no choice."

"Good. Then get some sleep. I expect you to be on your best behavior tomorrow." I smile as he groans. This could actually end up being fun.

Laying back, I pull at the vest and undo some of the straps that are crushing it against my chest. I hold up the hairclip for a moment before shoving it into one of my pants pockets. Lifting my head, I watch as Toby crawls over to lay with Bea, his arm going over her. I don't think anything weird of it. They're cousins; family. If he has anyone he can lean on; it's Bea. Me? Well I have the lightly snoring hunter beside me.

A soft breeze flows in through the window and I want to curse at it. As if I'm not cold enough already! The outfit helps but with my face and my hands- I'm not even upset about that! But I don't know what else to be upset about right now. There's so much that I can't choose one thing so I settle on the cold.

Now, I'm not particularly afraid of the dark. It just so happens that I'm suddenly terrified of laying here alone while everyone is asleep. While I'm the only one on lookout- We'd considered posting a watch for the night but decided against it -I didn't get a vote. In the dark, barely able to see what's going on around me with only soft moonlight that barely peeks through the clouds and windows, I feel alone. Alone, vulnerable, and afraid.

I reach over, shaking Gale lightly. He stirs but settles back down. I shake him again, a little harder, "Gale. Wake up for a minute."

"What is it?" He asks sleepily before turning over, holding himself up by his elbows. "Did something happen?"

I don't know how to ask. It's not an odd thing, particularly considering the relationship we have. Best friends, pretend lovers. I can ask this much of him. As he stares at me I chew lightly on my chapped lip. We've been rationing the water just in case and the cold is just making it worse. "C-can I ask you to do something?"

"Anything, babe." He yawns. It almost sounds genuine that he would call me that.

"I don't want to sleep alone and- and I know you're right here but can you put your arms around me?" I laugh softly, not sure what else to do with the emotion bubbling up inside my chest. I'm sure he doesn't need an explanation but I give him one anyway, "It's dark and I feel alone and I just need you right now."

Without a word he puts his arms around me and we sink back down to the blankets, my head against his shoulder. He's warm, he's sturdy- is that a word I can use to describe someone? That's what Henry called me. But it's more than that with Gale. He's safe, he's familiar, and I feel small with his arms around me but not in a bad way. In a way like his whole body could surround me if that's what it took to protect me.

"Get some sleep, Meg. Big day tomorrow."

"And the next day, and the next day..." I joke halfheartedly. I'm sure everyone else is asleep by this point but I whisper, "I talked to Toby,"

His grip tightens around me, "About what, exactly?"

"We actually reached some common ground. A mutual understanding. And- wow, you're so warm." I snuggle closer to him. "Don't let go, okay?"

"You're mine. I will never let you go." As cheesy as his line is, it makes me smile as I slowly, finally, drift off to sleep.

It's late afternoon when Henry corners me on our way back to the building where we've made our base. We were out with Toby who rushed ahead of us. "What's going on between you two?" He asks as we stand in the middle of four of the shorter buildings. "I thought you were enemies."

"Not really." I answer lightly. "We just didn't get along. The games change people, right?"

"Not this much." Henry eyes me curiously and I meet his gaze steadily. He sighs, "I heard your conversation. You and him have struck a deal and I don't like that you're trusting him so easily."

"I'm not, I just want some peace."

"You'll have it when you're dead. This is not going to work out for you-"

"Just please go along with it. I can tell that there's something going on between you two, and I think whatever threats or arguments you have hanging between you are scaring him. He just wants a chance to at least have his team cooperate with him."

Henry thinks it over, running a hand through his dark hair. "I'll try it. If your deal starts going south; tell me first."

"Who else could I tell?" I adjust the sword on my back. We'd found some sheaths and I took one right from the pile- silver plated leather. No one argued, and actually Gale laughed when he saw it, so it's mine. It stretches from my right shoulder to the lower left side of my back. With the vest it's a bit of an awkward fit but it's a lot easier on me than having the sword loosely hang against my leg.

Henry had left his double ended spear at the cornucopia, saying he would take it back later. He's armed instead with another sword, much bigger than mine. It's perfect for him, I think. Though it's not his prefered weapon, when I saw him swing it around I couldn't help but think about how powerful he looked.

"We should get back." Henry says, pulling me out of my thoughts. "You look hungry."

I am. I'd skipped breakfast. With the sun poking out I can see that there is edible plant life around, there's just not much in this area. I'm not interested in the rations we have from the cornucopia, but vines are making me drool. Probably because I know I can eat as much of them as I like without worrying I'm eating someone elses portion. I'm really thinking all or nothing right now. "I'm not that hungry."

He shakes his head then begins walking again, "I've been doing more than listening in on your secret conversations. I'm watching over my team, Meg. And what I see is upsetting."

I catch up and walk on his right, "Oh no. Did you see Gale doing his morning stretch?" I gasp in mock horror. "I'm so sorry, I've told him not to do it in public!"

Henry smiles, slightly, "That was pretty awful."

"Back home he wears this shirt that I swear is not his right size- when he stretches it comes up a little and-"

"I don't want to hear this." He chuckles. "You two are really close, huh?"

"Yeah, you could say that. Our parents introduced us. Well, my adoptive parents, so we didn't exactly grow up together."

"You're adopted?" He glances at me. "I didn't know."

"It wasn't in the interviews," I smile. "I only said that because... Well, actually, I don't know why. It's not like I need to explain everything, right?"

"Right. But now that you've said it..."

I know what he means to ask me. I know every question and I know every reaction I'll get. It's not a usual thing for a child to be adopted in Panem.

"If you don't want to talk about it..."

I don't. But he wants me to. It's not a long story anyway. "9 years ago, when I was- erm, 9- right after the Hunger Games ended, my parents left the city walls. On a trip, I think. I'm not sure. They left me at home for whatever reason and when they didn't come back their friends -who I'd never even met before- took me in. Treated me as their own, but made sure I remembered my parents. I love them but I miss my parents more than anything at any given time. Right now, even."

"They must have been great."

I grin, "Of course. To have a kid like me? They were the greatest."

"I don't doubt it. They had to be something special to raise you to be so strong."

"They taught me nearly everything I know. My mother taught me how to be a lady without being synonymous with vulnerability. My father taught me how to read, write, and ignore people who tell me I'm wrong."

"So your mother gave you beauty, your father gave you stubbornness, and they both gave you fight."

"Pretty much." I laugh, "You've got me pegged now, huh?"

Henry, being the tough, stoic, guy that he is, doesn't smile often. Nor does he laugh. But sometimes, like when it's just the two of us, as it is now, he does both. "You're not that difficult to figure out. Don't get me wrong; you're still interesting. Then again I never found mysteries very interesting..."

"Must not like yourself much then."

He puts an arm around my shoulders, laughing, "Like I said. You're much more clever than you look."

As we reach the building, his arm leaves me. He looks around slowly, checking to see if we're being watched. He gives the okay and we beeline for the entrance. Then up the stairs and through the doors onto the floor our group has claimed.

Immediately, Toby throws a peach at me, "Eat up! You're skin and bones!" He grins, and I return it before taking a bite.

I meet with Gale in the middle of the room and he hugs me, "Welcome back." Then he turns to Henry and nods, "Thanks for keeping her safe."

"There were no attacks, Gale. And we both kept each other safe." He's back to his usual expression that's blank and intimidating. He kneels down to pick up an apple then straightens out to look at the three of us. "Ann and Bea are watching the cornucopia for now. There won't be any groups formed large enough to take them out, but I want us all to keep moving. Next shift, Gale and Toby will take their place. I'll escort you two and bring back some things with the girls."

"And Meg?" Gale asks, "She's staying here?"

"Yes."

"No."

"It's fine with me." I tell them before taking another bite. I think Toby actually remembered me mentioning that I like peaches. Out of all the food we have, for him to grab one of these for me couldn't be a lucky guess. "It won't take long for them to get back here."

"I don't like it." Gale puts an arm around my waist, pulling me against him, "You shouldn't be alone."

I force away the urge to roll my eyes at him. "We all have to take our turns. We're a team, and responsibilities fall on all of us. Henry thinks I can manage, so it's very likely that I can. Trust me, alright?" I kiss him lightly, hoping he'll just shut up about it.

"I'm with her!" Toby announces, "I think she should stay here. Have some alone time. It did wonders for you, Gale."

Before anyone can start arguing I throw my arms up, pushing myself away from Gale, and yawn. It must look like an aggressive stretch because I get stared at but I'm used to it. I'm always either doing something stupid or saying something stupid or... just... being analyzed. I'm a target, I'm a side-show attraction, I'm the runaway who, in the middle of a fight to the death, has been making out with my best friend. I'm hopeless, useless, and I don't care. We're all in the same situation. We're all handling it in our own way. Mine is avoiding confrontations when possible and confronting others when necessary.

"Get some rest, Meg." Toby tells me. I throw the peach pit out the nearest window and do what he says. I rest back where Gale and I had been last night, just off the centre of the room, and put an arm under my head for a pillow.

Henry clears his throat, "She's, umm-"

"A bit out there." Gale confirms. "You'll get used to it."