Thank you to all who have loved this story so far, as we are nearing the end the chapters may get longer...much to my beta's bemoan. Special thanks to Norbertsmom who beta this behemoth 7K chapter & remember I do not own the Hunger Games
PS. Shirley and Corky thank you for the kind reception of their fury babies...they will be accepting nuts as gifts
WARNING VIOLENT CHAPTER AHEAD
The reaping was only one week away and the winter had not ceased. If anything, it became colder outside, the snow more intense. Katniss was worried. The entire district was worried. Normally by this time, winter would have given way to the rains of the spring and the heat of summer, but the frozen weather had not let up and it was putting a strain on its residents.
It also was putting a strain on the Peacekeepers as well and this gave the district citizens an immeasurable pleasure. They hated their presence because, among other things, true to Darius' warnings, the Hob was burned down.
"Catnip we've got to get into the woods," Gale complained. "My family can't take it anymore. Even with the Tesserae, Posy is wasting away."
Katniss stared at Gale wondering how she was going to bring up her plans or for that matter the subject of Peeta. They sat at her kitchen table, drinking tea and simply looking at the fire. Gale was turning eighteen so this would be his last reaping but he had to worry about his other three siblings. Rory, Vick, and Posy going through the same process. This would be Rory's first year, just like Prim.
"It's been a hard winter for all of us, Gale. If you want we can trade eggs for your mom's washing services." Katniss shifted in her seat feeling uncomfortable. This was not like sitting with Peeta. She could be comfortable with Peeta, but with Gale, it was awkward even though he was her hunting buddy.
"Thanks, that will help."
"I've got sheets and other stuff your mom can wash for us, and I'll give you a small basket of eggs for it."
"I'll take it home. The boys will love the fresh eggs for dinner tonight."
Katniss frowned into her cup of tea in front of her. She was used to doing activities with Gale. They were never really this quiet when they were hunting. They either spoke about the price of game, the weather, tracking or even the occasional ranting about the government. It was almost like they were business partners. Peeta was also her partner, but it felt different. Katniss gripped her cup. She welcomed Peeta's kisses, his hesitant touches. She never thought of Gale in those terms. Katniss snuck a peek at Gale from beneath her lashes.
Gale sat back in the chair. Despite his relaxed nature, Katniss sensed he was coiled up, ready to attack. It was strange how well she knew Gale, but in some ways, she didn't.
"It's been hard on us too, with Prim and all." Katniss tried to bring up the subject but was cut off by Gale.
"We're all having a hard winter? I can't hunt, and now I can't even trade. I'm stopped and frisked anytime I leave my house." Gale raised an eyebrow at her, his eyes stared down at her, though his voice betrayed his calm exterior.
She sipped her tea slowly, sweeping his reaction under the table. Gale dunked his bread in the tea. She was glad for the bread she managed to trade from Mr. Mellark. She spied the older boy, her hunting partner, a boy who so closely resembled her they could be family. They were like each other in temperament, except Katniss no longer agreed with everything Gale said or did, and that was due to Peeta.
It hurt to admit, but Gale was still stuck in his head, believing the same old stereotype and he had no desire to see things differently. Just knowing Peeta, she saw how his family suffered as a result of the Capitol. This forced her to reevaluate how she was going about her life. She still held her beliefs but they were amenable.
Talking to Peeta taught her that a real partner listened and respected your opinions even when they did not agree with them. Gale didn't do that. Some of their talks were reduced to shouting matches.
He had finally come around to visit her. His family was hungry; they were all hungry. Gale had thought with rabbits they'd have fresh meat, but the rabbits weren't producing. With more mouths to feed than she did he was worried because even his mom's washing business suffered. Katniss ever the industrial girl, made a slingshot, to carefully hunt animals in the meadow when she couldn't get into the forest. She had even managed to catch a rabbit and give it to Peeta with his bag.
"I caught a rabbit near the fence, and managed to get a few squirrels with a slingshot."
"Katniss that's dangerous and you know it," Gale whispered.
"I know but I'm not going to go hungry, and neither is my family. There are other ways around certain problems."
"Katniss they have the fence on. We can't even get to the other side!"
"Well," Katniss sighed, then looked at Gale in the face.
It was while she was hunting that a thought came to her on how to be able to escape from the district. The idea was simply to tie a rope around a thick branch that extended itself over the meadow. The spot was perfect because there were a lot of leafy bushes that could easily hide their group. The dense evergreen bushes never lost their leaves in the winter.
She had already spoken to Peeta about it. They both could climb up a rope with practice and since Peeta was the stronger of the two he could easily pull anyone who was not used to climbing. He was practicing with her on the sly whenever there was school.
"I was thinking about that."
"Oh, how the hell do you propose we do that with the fence?" Gale used that authoritative you-don't-know-what-you-are-talking-about Everdeen voice of his that Katniss frankly hated.
Katniss took a deep breath just before she answered. She couldn't fight with him. His anger was a fundamental difference between Peeta and Gale. Peeta was calmer and sensible about things. Gale was stubborn, just as stubborn as she was "I know the fence is turned on but I think there is a way."
Gale looked skeptical.
Katniss slowly delivered her idea about climbing a rope out of the district. She watched Gale's eyes slowly light up.
"How did you come up with this idea?"
"I told you. I have been trying to catch animals by the fence and in the meadow. The other day I looked up at a squirrel that was running along the branches."
"That could work. I mean I'm no expert climber but I am sure I can get up there." Gale rubbed his chin.
Katniss leaned forward placing her elbows on the table. She thought of Peeta and his sturdy frame, the way he wiggled up the rope. Her legs gripped together as she recalled how dry her mouth became at the sight of him. "You may have to practice in gym class where they have the ropes."
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that."
Katniss gripped her cup of tea.
"That's a pretty good idea, Katniss. I can't believe I didn't think of that. We could go hunting right at dawn and hide the rope in the woods, then come back in before anyone knows we're gone."
Katniss nodded her mind on her last conversation with Peeta. They decided to leave the district. Katniss was trying to figure out a way to tell him about Peeta, and their plan. This was as good a time as any to redirect the conversation. "Gale, I'm worried about the Reaping coming up. I don't know. I feel like something bad is going to happen."
"Katniss it's the Reaping; everyone has a bad feeling in their gut."
"Yeah, but I get the feeling we shouldn't be at that Reaping like the odds won't be in our favor this time."
"Katniss," Gale sighed. He opened his mouth to speak but she drowned him out.
"Maybe you're right. Maybe we..." Katniss stopped speaking, to think of how she should bring up Peeta. "Maybe we should leave. I mean we could do it, I know my mom will follow and as long as we have provisions we'll be okay."
Gale surged forward, his hands cupping hers. "Listen I don't-"
Katniss recoiled, she pulled her hands quickly away from his touch. There was something unnatural about it. They weren't Peeta's hands. It wasn't the same ease and warmth she felt. She scowled harshly as she made the comparison between the two boys.
"Yeah, my mom agreed we should all make a break for it. But we wouldn't be alone." Katniss was trying to find a way to let Gale know about her plans to bring Peeta with them.
Gale shook his head. "I would love to get out but we'd have to wait until the weather gets better."
"No, we should get out now."
"Katniss with the weather and all I'm not going," Gale looked her straight in the eye. "And that's that."
Katniss was taken aback by the casual way Gale dismissed her.
"No, no, no, NO!" Katniss slammed her palms down on the table. Her voice was becoming harder.
"Katniss." Gale stubbornly leaned forward. "The weather is bad and you're acting irrationally. You're acting like a spoiled child. I swear if I didn't know you, I'd say you're acting like drunk like Haymitch Abernathy."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Once again Gale was not taking her seriously. He was brushing off what she wanted, like it didn't matter.
"It's freezing out there, your sister, my sister, our families, plus anyone else who'd want to come would freeze out there. It's June and we just had a blizzard that lasted 3 days, Katniss. We don't know when this weather is going to get better. You're not acting logically."
His insult hurt and she wanted to lash out at him but she remained as calm as possible to once more try to explain.
"What if it doesn't get better? Then we're stuck and have to go through the reaping. No, we need to get out now."
"No Katniss it's too cold out there."
"Gale I'm not risking having the people I love to go through the reaping," Katniss angrily said.
"Well, I'm not risking exposing my ma, my brothers and Posy and everyone else to the elements!"
"Gale, what the hell. For years you've been suggesting we leave and now you don't want to!"
"Lower your voice, Katniss; there's no need to yell at me."
"Are you telling me what to do in my own home?"
"Why are you acting this way?"
"Why do you feel you have the right to walk all over me? You've called me a dumb chick Gale, that's not acceptable. I'm not just some stupid girl; I know how to survive out there. You think I haven't thought this through? That I haven't thought about how we can stay warm or how to live in the woods?" Katniss was sure her mother and sister could hear them.
"I think you haven't been paying attention, Katniss. You think I want to stay here and let my family die, or your family or anyone one else's that we care about. Good grief you don't know…"
"IF YOU TELL ME ONE MORE TIME HOW YOU HAVE MORE RESPONSIBILITY THAN ME OR MORE MOUTHS TO FEED I'M GOING TO TOSS YOU OUT GALE!"
"You don't have it as hard as me or as hard as Del-."
Katniss pointed to the door. "Get out."
"What?"
"Get out, Gale."
"Katniss wait," Gale stood. "It's just," Gale raked his hands through his hair. "My ma was talking with old man Nibs. He said this has happened before; there was a time without a summer. He said it was years ago in the darker times, before the great war, before Panem. What if it's like that now? I'm not willing to risk freezing out there and dying because of some silly fear you have!"
"It's not silly, Gale, and I understand what you're saying. It's just I can't get over this feeling like something bad is coming and the fact is you don't listen to me; you act like you own me."
"But I am listening Katniss and I don't think I own you. Hell, you and Prim are the strongest people I've ever met...I'm sorry if I made her feel bad...I swear-"
All Katniss heard was Gale say her sister's name. "Don't you dare mention my sister, you have no rights here. I don't even know who you are." She was disgusted with him. "I'm not even sure we're friends anymore."
Katniss pointed to the door again. "Get out."
"What?"
"Get out, Gale."
"Where is this coming from?"
Katniss had enough she opened the door to her house. "Goodbye, Gale."
"It's too dangerous out there."
"I don't want to listen to you anymore."
Gale hung his head, as he left he turned around. "Katniss, I don't know what happened but I'm sorry if you feel this way."
In the entire span of her life, she had never wanted to hurt anyone more. She even hated his scent, oranges, and pine. "Get out."
He finally left.
She felt angry hot tears flowed from her eyes. Gale had been a huge part of her childhood. Her friend until this moment, Katniss clamped her hand over her mouth, her body shaking.
Her mother embraced her, "Shh, it's okay, you did nothing wrong."
Katniss shook her head.
"Why don't you go upstairs and get some sleep? It's getting dark outside anyways."
"Thanks, mamma."
Katniss got ready for bed. When she climbed into the bed her sister was there. She sat holding the fringe of the blanket feeling ashamed for her behavior toward Gale, she tossed him out. But, in her defense, she had concerns and Gale wasn't listening to her. When Gale began doing that patronizing act of his she became enraged.
"Prim," Katniss said wanting to explain but couldn't find the words.
"I heard the argument. Are you going to tell Peeta about not leaving?"
"I'm going to have to. I don't know what to do. I needed him, with both of us we'd all be able to survive out there."
"Peeta's nice, but he wouldn't know how to survive out there. I know he'd leave with us and protect us with his life."
Katniss got into bed with her sister. "I promised you that we'd be okay and we will be."
"I know." Prim's small body wrapped around her, her little hand gripped hers. Both girls fell asleep, only to be awakened later on.
The knocking on the door was insistent. There was a cry in the Seam as Peacekeepers banged mercilessly on every door in the district.
Disoriented, her mother got out of bed. Katniss followed, with Prim not far behind. The cold wind blew in as their mother opened the door.
They could hear the shouts by the other men.
The uniformed Capitol soldier said pointing his gun at them, "OUT!"
"Come, let's go," Katniss said handing her mother shoes and taking her sister by the hand.
"But…"
"Mother, now is not the time." Katniss pulled her mother along into the street as Prim shoved her shoes on.
Katniss looked around in the dark as men in their ominous white uniforms stood on the road watching from behind their tinted black helmets. The Seam residents were pulled from their beds and pushed down the snowy streets. Katniss felt the way Prim's little hands clung to her side. Katniss paused to tie the thin blanket Prim carried with her around her shoulders. She glanced at her mother who fit the shawl over her trembling shoulders.
"GET OUT!" The Peacekeeper shouted at a man who was maimed. He had one leg and was using crutches.
"MOVE ALONG," their task-masters shouted at the crowd.
"Is the Reaping now?" Prim asked, her voice quaking.
"No, this is something else," Katniss replied.
"Why are they doing this?"
"I don't know Prim," Katniss said as they marched forward.
They walked like helpless animals to slaughter. Her gut churned with the wrongness of what was going on. As they approached the Justice building, they began to blend in with the Merchants. They were all confused, cold, tired, and apprehensive.
There was a silence in the crowd as they waited. The only movement was the puffs of warm air that escaped their mouths. Katniss pulled Prim and her mother closer. They were freezing, and they needed the body heat.
Katniss spotted Gale and his family toward the front. It looked like he was holding someone. She searched the crowd but she could not spot Peeta or his family. A helpless terror grasped her as she saw the way the Peacekeepers were all positioned above the Justice Building, their machine guns trained on them.
"You okay?"
Katniss jerked her head to find Peeta standing behind her. He shifted closer to her and she felt the warmth radiating from his body enveloping her from behind. She jerked her head before she saw Rye standing next to her. Peeta's eldest brother stood over Rye's shoulders with his wife; their father holding the witch protectively. Katniss could hear her whimpers.
Peeta stepped closer. His nearness quelled her fright. He gently put his coat around her mother's shaking shoulders.
"Thank you. Won't you be cold?"
"I'm fine." He shifted his arm protectively around her shoulder. "What about you, are you okay?"
"I'm cold, but I'm okay now."
"CITIZENS, I AM COMMANDER THREAD."
An older looking man with sharp hostile eyes shouted from the Justice Building steps. He was someone who she did not want to cross.
"Violations of the curfew law will not be tolerated." Thread nodded.
Two men opened the door as a woman was dragged from inside the building. She wore a hood but her voice rang out like a metal cymbal in the stunned silence. "Please no, please…"
"SILENCE!" Thread backhanded her.
Her body fell to the ground.
Katniss gasped as the hood removed from her face. Arabella, Madge's maid was nearly unrecognizable. She was beaten, and she pleaded with the men for clemency.
"She will be lashed for breaking the law."
A whipping post was brought out and anchored onto the stage. The soldiers dragged Arabella and tied her to it like they would an animal.
"Prim, cover your ears," Katniss whispered as she wrapped her slender fingers over her sister's eyes. The lash was extended in the hands right before the crackling hiss of the lash hit Arabella's skin. Her body collapsed at the first strike, blood immediately flowed over her bruised back.
There was a gasp in the audience as after five lashes Arabella ceased to move.
Thread nodded as one of the men came rushing forward to check. He shook his head; everyone knew she was dead. Katniss swallowed as Thread stood in front of the gathered mass.
"JUST SO YOU KNOW, NO ONE WILL BE EXEMPTED!" Thread shouted, his voice harsher, less controlled, filled with blood lust as Cray was brought out next.
The old head peacekeeper was stripped of his uniform, and in the dim night light, he looked like an old frail man. They were all shocked as Cray was thrown at the Thread's feet.
"For violating the code and fraternizing intimately with a resident, you are hereby punished to death," Thread called out.
Cray did not speak, he only looked Thread in the eyes, before lowering his head. Katniss turned her face towards Peeta's chest and squeezed her eyes closed.
Without mercy, Thread un-holstered his weapon and shot Cray in the forehead.
At the sound of the gun, Katniss flinched. A small sound came out of her throat as Peeta slipped his arms around both her and Prim. He cradled them both as if trying to protect them from the violence.
Thread stood between both bodies. "If you do not follow the rules then there will be bloodshed. Is that understood?"
No one dared answer back.
"Dismissed," Thread said as he walked away.
Katniss stood holding her sister, unable to move, then she recalled the strong arms that enveloped her.
"Come on, Katniss," Peeta whispered into her ear.
She nodded against his chest. Recalling where she was, she stepped away from him and turned back to the Seam. She was going to see him again, she was sure. Her arms shook as they made it back to the house.
When they arrived, she saw their belongings had been tossed about. Her mother stood paralyzed.
"Thank goodness they didn't take the goat or the chickens," Prim said aloud.
This caused Katniss and her mother to laugh. Primrose's innocence was too much. They knew the Peacekeepers were looking for violations, but could not find any thanks to Darius' warnings.
They hugged and held each other.
As people trickled back home, they were discovering just how wretched the Capitol was. All of their belongings were rifled through, tossed about as if they were nothing but grass clippings. A new dawning was going on in the hearts and minds of the residents of District Twelve. There was one enemy and it was the Capitol.
Back at the Justice building, Gale waited to move. He had a large group to sheppard to safety.
He could still hear the sound of Thread's voice. It seemed to resonate in the cold blustery air. Gale and his family had been pushed to the front where they had found Delly and her family. Everyone was in shock. Gale held a sleeping Andy. His mother held Posy who was also asleep. He was glad that they both slept through the horrific violence. Delly put her face into his side. Gale slid one hand around her middle, comforting her.
Watching a woman get whipped to death and her lover Cray get shot was a reminder that the Capitol didn't care if you were one of them or not. Anyone who betrayed its laws would be dealt with in the harshest way possible.
Vick shed silent tears. His mother handed Posy to Rory and comforted Vick, who was innocent despite his size.
The crowd was silent as they walked.
Gale glanced around to find his estranged friend, but Katniss was long gone. He had lost his best friend and it was painful, but it hadn't hurt as much as when he had lost Delly. He was lost and miserable without his Dells. His mother had Posy back in her arms. Delly had taken his mother's place and was comforting his brothers.
"Are you going to tell me what happened between you and Katniss or am I going to have to guess?" His mother knew every part of him; there was little he could hide from her.
"We had a fight, and she kicked me out."
"Did you provoke the fight?"
"She wanted to leave the district," Gale whispered
"Is she mad, in this weather, and after that demonstration?"
"I tried telling her about Nibs and how it's June and there was blizzard…"
His mother asked, "Did you talk to her or did you do that thing where you act superior and tell people what to do?"
Gale flushed. In all fairness, he didn't know if he did, if the fight happened because of the way he behaved toward Katniss or because of their disagreement.
"Damn it, Gale, I had a long talk with Lavender. You hurt that poor girl," his mother hissed.
"I'm sorry, momma. I don't have any excuse."
"Not only did you treat a girl who is like your sister improperly, but you've been incorrectly mooning over the wrong girl." His mother slapped the back of his head.
Gale flinched and turned red. His mother was right of course. While he took the walk it dawned on him that all of this time he had been falling for his sweet, vulnerable, stubborn, Delly. His ray of sunshine and happiness. His heart bloomed with warmth when he thought of her.
His mother stopped walking shifting Posy in her arms. "You are going to have to tell Delly."
Of course, he had to. He didn't know how to tell Delly that he was falling for her and it took the argument with Katniss and seeing Madge's servant killed to want to put the cards on the table.
It made him realize how little they had. If he was going to die he wanted it to be with the person he cared for the most. "What if she doesn't want me?"
"When you talk to her don't act like wounded boar and stomp on her if she's not there yet. Just tell her. Let her know that your feelings are genuine and that if she doesn't feel that way that you'd be willing to be her friend. Now shoo, don't come home until you do."
Gale moved besides Delly. When he was about to speak Delly's father addressed the group.
"Mrs. Hawthorne why don't you come with us. It's too cold tonight. You can go home in the morning." Mr. Cartwright said as they came to the road that lead to the Seam. His mother nodded her consent. Gale was relieved. Vick had a smile on his face and that convinced Gale more than ever that he needed Delly's gentle happier ways.
"I'll take Andy now," Delly held out her arms.
"No, I'll carry him, besides he's too heavy for you."
"Gale," Delly said in the warning voice of hers.
"Your bruised ribs just finished healing. You're just starting to walk normally. Do you think I want you to get hurt again?"
Delly shook her head.
Gale didn't say anything. He simply took her hand as they walked toward the house.
"I'm glad Andy and Posy slept through the entire thing."
Gale nodded. "It would have been awful for them to see that."
They arrived at the house; it was a mess. "Oh," his mother breathed as they walked inside.
Her father was putting back a chair. "Son, they went through our belongings."
Gale expelled a breath. He thought about what his house would look like.
"I'll go get Andy's things in order."
"Mom our house," Rory said sounding younger than his age.
"They're just things, Rory. We're all alive and well, that's what's important." Hazelle said, touching Rory's face.
"In the morning we'll all go and help you straighten your things. Now let's get these children to bed, shall we" Delly's father voice sounded upbeat but, the night, the deaths, the suffering wore on his shoulders.
Gale walked with Delly to Andy's room.
"They didn't touch his things. They looked in the drawers in my room, and tossed the mattress aside."
"I can only picture what we have to face in the morning."
"If you want, I can go with you in the morning to help your mom."
"Your dad already said we'd all go." Gale carefully put her sleeping brother on the bed. He didn't bother removing his coat since it was so cold in the room, but he did remove his shoes. "You got extra socks?"
"Yes," Delly said going to a small dresser.
Gale could see himself doing this with her, getting their kids ready for bed. He took the socks and slid them on to Andy's feet, before tucking in the little guy.
"Let's get your family ready for bed." Delly pushed her hair away from her face.
Gale grabbed Delly's hand and pulled her to him. All that time that he vacillated between her and Katniss was a wasted exercise. "I have to tell you something."
"What's wrong, Gale?"
"I." Gale took in a deep breath. If she kicked him out he would find a way to get back in.
"You're scaring me."
"I'm falling in love with you," Gale whispered. He had never uttered those words to anyone before.
Delly blinked. "What?"
He didn't dare touch her. "I'm falling for you, Delly."
Delly stood there, her eyes wide, searching his face. "What about Katniss?"
He swallowed. This was going to be the hard part. "I don't love her that way."
"Did you talk to her?"
He remained quiet, not sure how to tell her.
"Gale, why are you behaving like Andy when he's done something wrong?"
He didn't know how to say it.
"Gale," Delly whispered.
"Katniss kicked me out of her house today."
Her face crumbled before his. "I'm sorry to hear that, how did it happen?"
Gale rubbed the back of his head trying to figure out a way to explain it to Delly. "We're different people now. I don't exactly know...how we got into a fight."
"What do you mean by that, Gale? What did you do?"
"We were talking about getting food."
"Then what happened?"
"I don't know. It was all a blur. One moment she was telling me how to get into the woods with some rope, the next minute she's yelling at me, telling me to get out."
Andy stirred in his sleep. Delly pulled away and indicated for him to follow her. Her face, though, was unreadable. Gale wondered what she really thought. He followed behind her as she took blankets from a closet that was opened but the sheets were not moved. She roughly gave them to him as he spoke.
"She told me we should leave. I opened my mouth to tell her about you, how you have it worse than we do, but she wouldn't hear of it. I wanted to explain how we couldn't run away because of Andy. I swear she's so stubborn, and never listens to me. She shut me down. The next thing I know she's telling me to get out and that our friendship is over."
She gave him a withering look that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He grimaced.
Delly held up a finger when he opened his mouth to speak.
She walked upstairs to the apartment. He followed behind her. Helping her clean up, he could see she was fuming. Gale wondered why women got mad at him. He didn't say anything to her, he just made sure he helped her. They received curious looks from his mother and brothers, but no one said a thing as Delly was red.
Delly was gentle with Posy. She carefully helped tuck his baby sister in, but he dared not speak. He could see his mother was also in a mood. He could potentially open up a hornet's nest if he did say something.
Once the upstairs was picked up and his family was in their beds, Delly walked downstairs and like a duckling, he followed behind. They were both in her room. She picked up her clothing while he put the mattress back on her bed. She stopped and squealed, then began picking things up again. It was unintelligible but he knew he was in deep trouble.
"You moron!" She squeaked. "I told you to talk to her." Delly wiped her face. "But knowing you, you didn't talk."
"My mom said something similar."
Delly chuckled. "Gale, do you understand why Katniss was yelling at you?"
"I…she was fighting with me over her plan to leave the district in these frigid temperatures. I tried to talk sense into her."
"Gale I know you. You can sound autocratic when you speak to people."
He was about to say no, but it would be lying and he couldn't lie to her.
"You probably sounded like an overbearing brute, that's why she was acting that way." Delly shook her head.
"Do I treat you like that?"
"Yes." Delly gave him a look, "Remember the entire chicken coop fiasco. I thought I was going to hit you in the head with a plank of wood, to knock some sense into you."
"Oh."
"Oh is right. Even your mother wanted to slap you upside the head." Delly chuckled. "Someone like Katniss who is fiercely independent and full of fire is going to serve you the same fire you served her." Delly sighed, "You're lucky she didn't shoot you in the face."
Gale didn't get too comfortable yet; he knew more was coming.
She rubbed her temple. "Think about what you said and how you said it. Do you think anyone would want to be spoken to like that? I bet you haven't even been the least bit concerned with her sister Primrose or the fact that she's been having horrific nightmares?"
"How'd you know about that?"
"People talk, I listen. Believe me, as much as I hate it, sometimes being invisible helps. Your mother and Mrs. Everdeen were talking about Primrose's nightmares the other day. Did you know Prim can't sleep at night, none of them are getting any good sleep."
Gale thought about what Delly said. He recalled Katniss mentioning it, but he just brushed it aside.
"The most important person in Katniss' life is her sister. You are treating someone she loves as if they are as important as that crate or that pillow. I would be livid too if you treated Andy that way."
Gale took her smaller hand in his. She had a way to make things clearer for him. "I've been an idiot."
Delly looked him in the eyes before saying, "Gale, you need to fix this. You need to tell her how sorry you are and you need to apologize to Prim. I cried every day by myself before my first reaping. I was sure I was going to be called."
She was so good, his heart expanded further. He wanted to hold her, kiss her. He wanted to show her just how much she meant to him. The first thing he would do is apologize to Katniss. "I promise, I will."
"Good."
They hugged and he wrapped his arms around her. He had to keep himself in check from turning this into something that it wasn't. They were still in that murky half-friends-half-not. It reminded him that he had declared his feeling for her but she hadn't acted like she thought she would.
"I'm so glad you are here, after tonight..." Delly breathed in deeply. "I am thankful for you."
"I am too. I am thankful I met you. I'm in love with you." Gale touched her face tenderly. He took a deep breath. "But what about you? Do you have any feelings for me?" Gale felt so small at this moment because he was the one wearing his emotions on his sleeve and she had not addressed whether she had feelings for him. He was afraid she would reject him because he was from the Seam. He didn't think he heart could take her rejection.
"Gale," she muttered. "I never thought someone like you would feel that way about someone like me." She didn't look at him in the eye. "I'm not anyone special. I'm not even that pretty."
"I think you are beautiful," Gale cupped her face. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears.
"Please don't say things like that."
He pressed his forehead against hers, "It's true, you're gorgeous."
"Gale I can't have these feelings for you."
He didn't understand. "Why, is it because you're afraid of your dad?" He swallowed. "Is it because I'm Seam?"
"No," she shook her head.
"Then why? Why have you been pushing me away? "
Her words were soft. "I've been betrothed."
He frowned; he didn't understand.
"My father sold me. When I'm done with my last reaping I...will belong to Jackson."
Gale was opened mouthed. "What?"
"In the Seam, you marry for love, for us here it's different. Contracts are made between the families. Depending on the agreement, you can be equal partners or we can be sold into marriage for a price as part of the inheritance. When Jackson told me, at first I didn't want to believe it. But then he showed me the papers that day in school when you saw him."
"That son of a bitch," Gale swore, "that can't happen, you can't own anyone."
"Amongst us, it can. This type of marriage can be made as early as age five. From what I heard, it's hard to break a contract. The only time it was done was between Mrs. Everdeen and Mr. Mellark. They were supposed to be married but she fell in love with Katniss' father."
"Is that why Jackson's been all over you?"
"He threatened to call the debt my father has with them. This contract paid off the debt and now he threatened you and your family. I can't let anything happen to you. I'd die."
Jackson was a sick bastard. Gale closed his eyes. No wonder Delly was pushing him away. The kid had threatened them. "You haven't told your dad of his threats?"
"He's off in his own world much of the time. I haven't been able to speak to him since my mother passed away."
"Don't go with him, don't marry him, Dells, please…be with me."
"I want to so badly," Delly pushed away from him. "I love you too. I want to be with you. I picture a life with you, children that will never be," she said brokenly. "But I can't be selfish. I cannot allow him to hurt you or your family."
Gale was elated by her declaration, but at the same time felt pain. He gathered her in his arms once more and she fit. She fit perfectly to him, he kissed her neck and she gasped.
"Gale we can't," she breathed. "If I go to his bed touched he said he would call the Peacekeepers on your mother."
The urge to know her kiss, to taste her was great. But he thought about what Jackson would do to her and he stopped. "Can I hold you tonight at least?"
Delly nodded, they climbed into the bed together and she let him spoon her from behind. She'd never felt so loved before. Her mother's song filtered through her head and as she hummed they fell asleep.
The morning light filtered through Delly's small window. Gale placed a kiss on her cheek. He breathed in her essence that he often associated with sunshine. "I love you," he whispered.
Getting up, he found her father waiting for him on the opposite side of the door, a cup of tea in hand. "Sir, I didn't…"
"I know. I checked this morning when I didn't see you on the couch."
Gale lowered his head, "If I could, I'd toast with your daughter."
"I know," his father extended the mug of tea toward him. "She loves you, and has been fighting it a long time."
Gale sadly smiled, "I love her, with all of my heart."
"She's going to need you."
"I'll be there," Gale promised. "For whatever may come."
"Good," her father said. "Your family and I went to your home this morning. We straighten out the mess. It wasn't as bad as we thought it would be."
Gale drank from the mug wondering how her father could let Delly marry that monster. "Thank you."
"Why don't you go home," her father suggested. "I'll tell her you left to go see to your family."
Gale put the tea down before leaving. It was on the tip of his tongue to talk to her dad but he refrained. That was a conversation Delly was going to have to have with him. Putting on his coat, he left. He was rounding the corner of her house when he spotted Jackson.
"I told you to leave her alone." Jackson angrily followed him.
"She ain't yours yet," Gale growled.
He vowed he was going to find a way for them to be together. Even if he had to kill Jackson Sharpie himself.
"So Delly told you, did she?" Jackson mocked.
Gale turned around ready to punch the kid in the face when Madge's voice stopped them.
"I thought I might find you here," Madge said, holding a package of bread in her hand. "Jackson," Madge greeted. She stood there not moving.
Jackson said, "I'm sorry about your maid."
Madge shook her head. "She was an agitator."
"Yes, she was," Jackson said. He turned to Gale, "I'll see you later and stay away from Delly."
"What do you want, Undersee?" Gale growled.
"Oh come on Gale, you as well as I know what I crave," Madge winked salaciously as Jackson glanced over his shoulder.
"Here, take this."
Gale wanted nothing to do with Madge or anyone else right now, especially after what she said about her maid. "I don't want your kindness."
"I need you to wipe that sour look off your face and pretend like we're flirting right now."
Gale sighed, taking the bread he said, "Fine, but we had this discussion. I'm not into you."
"Why you are wasting your time with her I do not know, but I get it. You're in love with Delly Cartwright."
"Once more Undersee, what do you want?"
"Rebellion."
Gale frowned.
"I know you think I'm a stupid blonde, but I know more than you think I know. Arabella was searching for information for me when she was caught at Cray's house. She died for the cause."
"What?"
Her fingers crept up his chest. All he could think about was running away. He didn't want another girl touching him. He backed away but she latched on to his coat. To the outsider, it looked like a girl was flirting with him aggressively. "I've started a rebellion Gale and I thought you might want to be part of it. I think you're beginning to realize the real enemy is the Capitol and its followers and not your neighbors. Nod your head slowly if you agree."
Gale nodded slowly as her voice dipped to a seductive tone. He no longer saw the separation between the Seam and the Merchants. They were all one people being oppressed by the same machine, Snow.
Madge put her fingers on his lips. She winked at him and then blatantly leaned up to kiss him on the cheek, and grasped his ass. She whispered, "Meet me at Haymitch's place tomorrow at six if you want to find out more."
Gale was confused as hell.
"By the way, be careful you're being watched. Someone has it in for you. They think you're an agitator." He watched her sashay away.
Gale slipped his hand in his pocket. His finger came in contact with something. Pulling it out he frowned at the disk with a Mockingjay symbol on it.