Dislcaimer:

This chapter has an intimate scene. If you'd prefer not to read it, stop about half-way through at the paragraph that starts "I gaze into his gray eyes...," skip over 15 paragraphs, and start reading again at "I flop back onto the bed..."

For those of you who do want to read it, how's that for a teaser?!

"No!" I shout, jumping up from my chair. I sprint to the door where the jurors have just started leaving the room.

"Give me his sentence! He can do the 40 hours of service!" I scream. My whole plan has been to get Gale back to a normal life, but this jury is going to ruin that if they send him to prison. I can go to prison. It's not like I had much of a plan anyway.

The jurors stare at me in shock. Maybe fear. They're frozen in their spots, hesitant to move.

"Please," I say, moving from one to the next, hoping someone will take pity on me. "Please, I'll take his sentence!"

Suddenly, strong arms wrap around my waist and drag me to the middle of the room. The jurors exchange nervous glances and then scurry out the door. I tilt my head to see who's restraining me. It's one of the guards who has been sitting in the corner of the room all day. At least I gave him something to finally do.

"Sorry, Ms. Everdeen," he says amicably. "But we can't have you scaring the jurors."

Once everyone has cleared the room besides me, Haymitch, and Gale, the guard lets me go and apologizes again.

"Feel better after your little outburst?" Gale asks, rolling his eyes as he stands up.

"No," I grumble.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't need you to take my sentence."

I walk over to the window to assess the number of people still outside. It's a large group, but appears to be dwindling. We should be able to leave in a few minutes.

I turn back to Gale and Haymitch, who is still sitting, rubbing his forehead like he has an enormous headache.

"I thought we were getting the same sentence. How can they do this?" I ask.

"Well, I was convicted of murder. You were only convicted of accessory to murder. Pretty big difference," Gale explains like he's talking to a child.

"What?" I ask with confusion.

"Did you not listen to anything Grimbel said today?!" He's becoming exasperated with me.

"I caught things here and there," I say to defend myself when in all actuality, I paid very little attention. At the time, it didn't seem like it mattered.

I focus on Haymitch. "Why didn't you tell us this? You made it seem like we were a package deal!"

He shrugs. "I didn't expect it to play out like this."

"Didn't expect it to play out like this?! Gale could end up in prison! When it should be me! I was supposed to kill Coin, not him!"

I shift my furious glare from Haymitch to Gale and then back to Haymitch. Neither of them says anything.

I clench my fists in anger and look out the window again. The crowd has thinned substantially. I'm sure it's only a matter of minutes before my crazed outburst will be shown throughout the districts, if it hasn't already aired.

"Ready to go?" Gale asks softly from behind me.

I turn and walk down the aisle toward the door, not bothering to see if either of them follows. After stomping through the hallway and down the stairs, I open the main door to the mansion and am met by a flurry of flashes. I shield my face and aggressively push my way through the masses, not caring what they think anymore. I pick up speed until I'm sprinting across the lawn. A few photographers keep pace with me and try to snag another photo as I stop to open the door of the Training Center.

"Are you going to follow me inside, too?!" I lash out at them angrily. They shrink back and I groan, realizing this will not help the situation. I yank open the doors and take the very familiar trip up to the twelfth floor, by myself this time.

I go immediately to the bedroom, change into my pajamas, and fall onto the bed, still fuming.

A few minutes later, Gale enters the room and lies down next to me. I stare at the ceiling.

"It's going to be okay," he says.

"Really? You don't mind spending the rest of your life in a prison cell?"

"It probably wouldn't be for the rest of my life. Maybe a few years."

I turn on my side so I'm facing him. "Why are you taking this so lightly?"

"Why are you taking this so hard?" he counters. "Frankly, I'm surprised to see how much you care," he adds with a smile.

"Your life shouldn't be over because of me!"

"It won't be over," he says quietly, reaching for my hand.

After a few moments, he continues, "So, does this mean you'll wait for me if I'm incarcerated? You're not going to find another guy while I'm stuck there?"

He's trying to be funny, but I'm not in the mood for it. I scowl in his direction.

He drops my hand and moves to the edge of the bed to unlace his boots. "You know," he continues. "This could be my last night as a free man for a long time."

I watch him out of the corner of my eye. He lifts his shirt over his head and throws it on top of the dresser. Then he reaches down and unbuttons his pants. "So, we should probably make the most of it, don't you think?" I don't look away, like I normally do, when he steps one leg and then the other out of his pants.

How did things end up like this? Gale's life could essentially be over because of his stupid decision to help me. Even if he's not sentenced to prison, I plan on leaving him, knowing it will break his heart. So, either way, he loses. How I can I do that to him? Am I really that callous? But what is the alternative? Unfortunately, that's the easiest question to answer—give in to what he wants. Commit to him. Forever.

Gale crawls back into bed and cups my chin with his hand. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

"You don't want to know," I murmur.

He lowers his face so that his lips are mere inches from mine. "I think I do."

I gaze into his gray eyes and know that I've already made the decision. I hook my hands in his hair and pull his lips to mine. The effect on my body is immediate—all the restraint I've had the last few months dissolves, leaving me wanting and eager. He shifts his weight so he's poised above me, balancing on his elbows. My heartbeat becomes irregular, my breathing shallow. I deepen our kiss, trying to quench the insatiable need that is building inside of me.

My fingers move on their own. Exploring every part of his body. Every part that has teased and tempted me for the past few months. They move down his neck, over the well-defined contours of chest and abdomen, and then around his waist to the scars crisscrossing his back. He groans deep in his throat and lowers his body on top of mine. I gasp as the weight and heat of him sends a shiver down by spine.

I feel his lips curl into a smile.

"Why did you make me wait so long?" he whispers into my ear.

I gulp as he nibbles on my earlobe and then traces gentle kisses down my neck to my collarbone. He follows the curves of my body, his fingers trailing behind his lips.

My legs wrap around his, trying to pull him even closer. My back arches, inviting him in. He greedily accepts the hollow at the base of my throat and then moves his lips lower, his fingers gently pulling my tank top out of the way.

My fingers dig into his back as the scorching heat deep in my belly begins to flood the rest of my body. He lifts his head and grips my face between his hands.

"I. Love. You," he says, punctuating each word and boring his eyes into mine.

My body reflexively tenses at his words. I try to turn my head, but he holds me steady, forcing me to look at him. His eyes, which were dark with passion only seconds ago, have turned cloudy, allowing me to see the full depth of his pain. I inwardly chastise myself for my reaction. I curl my fingers around his hair and pull his face to mine, trying to erase the damage I've caused. I tug eagerly on his lips, but he doesn't respond.

"Gale," I whisper. "Kiss me… please."

He pushes himself up on one elbow and regards me quizzically. I grab his arm and try to pull him back on top of me, but he doesn't move. Instead, he says, "I think we should revisit this when you're not so emotional."

"What?" I ask breathlessly.

"I don't want our first time to be out of anger or guilt or whatever it is you're feeling right now."

Right now I'm feeling a lot of things but anger and guilt are not on the list. Okay, if I'm honest with myself they're on the list, but very low on the list, under a lot of other, more urgent feelings.

I sit up and try kissing him again. I trace my fingers along his chest, over his abdomen, but he doesn't respond. I run my hand along the top of his boxers—he draws in sharply, but doesn't make any attempt to rekindle what we had a few moments ago.

I flop back onto the bed in defeat.

"Sorry to disappoint," he says with a smirk, lying down next to me.

I roll away from him, but he sidles up right behind me and pushes my short hair off my neck. He kisses my shoulder and then drapes his arm over my waist in our normal sleeping position. "You know, I could get used to this new side of you, Catnip."

I lock my fingers around his and pull them to my belly. He slides ours hands upwards, under my shirt, and I'm momentarily optimistic that he's changed his mind. But, then he stops at the base of my ribs. I sigh. He laughs.

Eventually, my heart rate slows and I'm able drift off to sleep.

The next morning, Gale wakes me by kissing my cheek, eliciting a deluge of memories from the night before. I was so willing to commit to him last night. Do I still feel that way today? Do I have a choice now? As hard as leaving him would have been before, it will be nearly impossible now. I broke my rule. I gave him hope.

I decide to put that topic on hold as the memory of the more pressing issue resurfaces—Gale's sentencing. I roll towards him and notice that he's glowing.

"You shouldn't look so happy. This could be the end of your life."

"Don't be so dramatic," he says and then kisses me squarely on the lips.

Apparently, in Gale's mind, we've broken through another boundary and he can kiss me wherever, whenever he wants. Because, of course, in his mind we're together now. In his mind, I hurdled that boundary first and at full speed, clearing it like a top-notch athlete. I take a deep breath.

"Hmm… you were a little more receptive last night," he muses.

I lightly kiss him back. "Sorry, I've got a lot on my mind right now."

He climbs out of bed. "I'm taking a shower. Care to join me?"

I feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. "Um… I think I'll pass," I finally mumble. "Thanks, though."

He grabs my arm and drags me across the bed so I'm right next to where he's standing. Leaning over, he kisses me again, lingering a bit longer and causing my heart rate to ratchet up a couple notches.

"Are you sure I can't change your mind. This could be my last hour as a free man."

I roll my eyes. "You've already used that one."

He laughs and saunters to the bathroom, happier than I've ever seen him. Much happier than he should be given the news we're waiting to hear.

Once we're both showered and dressed for the day, we wait in the common room for word that the deliberation is complete. We turned on the television at first, but quickly found all the stations had switched from campaign coverage to our hearing. After Gale got another good chuckle at me harassing the jurors, I turned it off.

We've been sitting in silence for three hours now. At least four times an hour, Gale gets up, paces between the couch and the window for a couple minutes, and then sits down next to me again and holds my hand.

After his most recent excursion around the room, he says "Maybe we should just go over there."

"You'd rather sit in that awful room than here?"

"What if they forgot to call us? Maybe it's already been decided and we just didn't hear about it."

"I'm sure they'll figure out a way to let us know."

"Maybe it's on the TV. Can we turn it back on?"

I groan. "If they show me again, I'm turning it off immediately," I warn.

Just as I press the power button, the elevator dings. We both spring to our feet. My palms are sweating, my stomach is churning, my mouth is completely dry. The anticipation is like a thick fog of noxious fumes, threatening to suffocate me.

Finally, the doors open and Haymitch steps out.

"So?" Gale and I ask at the same time.

He holds his hands up in front of him. "I don't know their decision. All I know is they're announcing it in half an hour. We need to head over there now. That is if you can manage to keep your composure today, sweetheart."

I scowl at him, and then we all board the elevator. The trip over is similar to the day before, although I get the impression that the journalists are giving us a slightly wider berth, probably afraid I'm going to snap at any moment. When we enter the Cabinet's chamber, I follow Gale to the front, but Haymitch grabs my arm.

"Not so fast. You're sitting with me today."

I glance to Gale anxiously.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine," he says.

When we're both seated, he turns his chair around and leans towards me. I follow his lead. Placing his mouth against my ear, he whispers, "If this turns out badly, wait for me where I shot the doe. Do you remember that bluff?"

I nod.

"Take the backpack and grab any other supplies you can get. Make sure no one follows you. I'll meet you as soon as I can."

I nod again, but my throat constricts. Despite his fairly confident exterior, he's just as afraid as I am. He has to know there's no way he'll be able to escape, though. They'll have guards watching him all the time. He'll never get the opportunity to slip away. He'll probably be taken into custody today. Right after the sentence is read. My stomach drops as that realization hits. He may be taken away from me forever in just a few minutes. My hands begin shaking. Gale brushes my leg lightly and then turns around. I close my eyes and concentrate on taking slow, deep breaths.

A few moments later, Grimbel enters the room and welcomes everyone back. Looking directly at me from above the rim of his glasses, he says, "Ms. Everdeen. We are happy to have you here today; however, should you feel the urge to have another outburst like yesterday, you will be removed from the premises. Do you understand?"

Feeling like a reprimanded schoolchild, I nod solemnly. Gale's shoulders bob up and down in front of me and I know he's laughing. I fight the urge to kick his chair.

Grimbel continues to make a few more announcements. The whole time my nervousness escalates. I look down in shock at my foot tapping on the floor. It's in perfect time with Gale's foot a few feet in front of me. I slam my hand on my knee to stop it, but my shaking palm and twitching fingers are too distracting. Instead I wrap my arms around my chest and let my foot tap rhythmically with Gale's. Haymitch sighs loudly at my side, but I ignore him.

Finally, the guard opens the door and the jurors march to their seats. The head juror stands and pulls out her sheet of paper.

"We the jury sentence Gale Hawthorne to 200 hours of service to his country."

I can't believe it. Community service. That's it. All that worry for nothing. I cover my mouth with my hands. Haymitch squeezes my shoulder. Gale turns around and smiles at me. The immense sense of relief is liberating. I feel like a hundred pound weight has been lifted from my back. Gale's life is not over because of me.

After Grimbel's closing comments, the spectators slowly begin milling around the room. A few news crews approach us, but Haymitch successfully sidetracks them so we don't have to be on camera. I want to talk to Gale, but there's a constant stream of people approaching us to tell us how brave we were, how proud they are of us, how sorry they are about Peeta. After twenty minutes, I'm about ready to just walk away from everyone when I recognize a face in the line. I excuse myself and approach Cressida.

"Thank you," I say simply. I'm not sure where we'd be today without her.

"No, thank you. For everything you did for our country."

"You know I had a selfish motive."

She smiles. "I don't believe that was your only motive. You're a good person."

"Sorry to interrupt." An authoritative voice sounds behind me.

Cressida nods politely and bids us farewell. I turn around to find Paylor standing there.

"We need to talk, Katniss," she says, guiding me towards the door. "In private."