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Chapter 28

It's been 2 months since Merrick left for District 2. I've taken Gale's advice about keeping myself busy and it has helped. Gale has actually been quite amazing since Merrick went home. He's has been a great friend, taking me into the woods when he has free time. At first, I was worried that at some point he would try to come onto me out there, now that he had a better chance of being with me. The more we went out there, the more relaxed I became and we soon fell back into our old ways.

We meet every Sunday at our spot in the clearing. I look forward to it all week long. I've even started making little picnics to bring out there. At first, Gale objected, insisting that he'd didn't need charity. After an emotional breakdown on my part, he's never said a word since and seems to enjoy what I bring now.

I pack a small satchel full of food and drinks and then I am off to the woods. I stop by my hiding spot to retrieve my bow and quiver then walk through the tranquility of the woods. When I get to the clearing, I see Gale waiting for me on our rock. As I walk nearer, I can see him in deep concentration, staring out into the woods. I wonder what could possibly be on his mind. I decide to have a little fun with him. I lower myself to pick up a small rock from the ground. I then load it onto my bow and shoot it at the rock, about a foot from where he is sitting. The sound of stone hitting stone causes him to jump before looking my way.

"You know you shouldn't sneak up on people like that." he says. "Scared me half to death."

"I couldn't resist." I tell him as I take my spot on the rock.

"So, what did you make for me today?" he asks with a smile.

"You'll find out later." I tease him. He gets a mischievous look on his face and I know he's up to no good. He lunges towards my bag but I swipe it and start running. Chasing ensues until he catches me, taking me to the ground with him. The bag lands out of my reach. He pins me to the ground and is able to obtain it with his long arm. I give him a look of contempt but I'm not mad at him. He releases me and sits up with the bag in his lap.

"What did you bring for me today, Mockingjay?" he grins as he rifles through the bag. He locates a chocolate chip cookie and holds it up.

"These are new." he says before taking a bite. He let out an approving moan. "When did you learn to bake, Catnip?"

"You were the one that told me to keep myself busy."

"Last time you made something, it turned out black and burnt." he says with a laugh. I blush. It's true. I've haven't been able to cook to save my life.

"Sae's been helping me with that." I tell him.

"I'll make sure to thank her next time." he quips. I take the bag away from him, before he can eat anything else.

"This is supposed to be our lunch." I remind him.

"Ok, fine. I'll stick to the berries." he says before heading back to the rock. I walk back to meet him and pick a few berries for myself.

"How has work been?" I ask him.

"Ok." he responds.

"I heard there was another accident." I say quietly as I look at the ground. I hear a sigh come from him and look up to him.

"And I'm fine."

"Gale, it's only time…"

"I'm careful Katniss." he tells me, as if that's any sort of comfort to me. I worry about him all the time. I worry that he will end up like our fathers. It's no secret that my income could take care of both our families with a lot left over. He'd never take any of it and it makes me sick. I don't dare talk about this any further. I don't want us to fight today.

"What should we do first?" I ask, changing the subject.

"I though we could set a few snares, then go swimming in the lake. We can hunt after lunch."

"Sounds like you have it all figured out." I say with a smile.

"Just our usual stuff." he says standing up. I join him and we walk into the woods together. I watch him as his hands deftly set the snares, a skill I could never seem to pick up. Once the snare line is set, we make the long journey to the lake. During our walk, the forest goes quiet. I don't think I can hear one animal. I look over at Gale, but he doesn't seem to notice it. I let it go until we come to a small break in the forest. The blue sky has been replaced with a greenish hue. I continue looking up as we walk until I'm jostled to the side.

"Careful, Catnip, you almost ran into a tree." Gale says.

"Sorry."

"What's on your mind?" he reluctantly asks me.

"Sky looks weird." I say looking up at it once again.

"Hmm." he says, looking in the same direction. We are brought back to the present when we are pelted with hail. I cup my hands and hold them out to collect the large pieces of ice. I look over to Gale and we both know this isn't a regular type of storm. The hail comes down harder and I hear a train-like roar even though we are nowhere near any of the freight lines that run near our district. Gale looks back towards District 12 with fear on his face. I know what he's thinking. We are too far away. He instinctively takes my hand and pulls me toward the cabin.

"Run!" he exclaims. Our hands stay connected as we sprint to the lake, afraid of losing one another. The wind picks up and the sound gets louder as we approach the cabin. He pushes me inside and secures the rickety door as best he can. He leads me to the corner and I crouch down into a ball and squeeze my eyes shut. Whatever this is, it's bad. I flinch when I feel the weight of Gale's body press into me, protecting me. The wind accelerates and the door slams open, causing the wind to swirl throughout the space. I let out a whimper as I press my face into his chest. This is scary and I can't help but feel like I'm back in the Hunger Games. I'm surprised the Gamemakers never used something of this nature in the Games. Gale's embrace tightens around me.

"I'm right here." he shouts into my ear. I can't help but think about him right now, protecting me. If any debris were to fly in here, he'd get the worst of it. I am sent into a panic, thinking about him getting hurt. There's no way I could get him back to District 12 by myself. I couldn't leave him, either…I'd never do that.

I reach my arms around him, thinking that maybe I could protect him as well but he forces them back inside the cocoon he's made for me. I don't try to fight him on this. I know I'd lose.

He doesn't loosen his embrace until the winds die down and it is quiet. I brace Gale as he helps me stand. I am still shaken up by what has just happened.

"You ok?" he asks.

"Y—yes." I stammer as I try to regain my composure. "How did you know what to do?"

"It's not the first tornado we've had around here." he says with a smirk.

"I don't remember anything like that."

"You were probably too young to remember it. I was four. I remember hearing that noise, like a train and my father quickly gathered my mother and me…took us to a corner and covered us with a blanket before shielding us with his body. I was scared to death as I felt the wind blow through the blanket, things shifting in our house, the sound of glass breaking."

I'm quiet as I think about what he's saying, recreating the scene in my mind. I can't help compare him to him father, in the way that they both protected the people they cared the most about; the people they loved.

"Catnip, are you ok? You're shaking." he murmurs. I look up at him and see the concern in his eyes. My heart starts aching, revealing emotions I've tried so hard to suppress when Merrick was still around. I'm not sure how exactly to categorize it or even how to make it stop. I close my eyes and focus.

'Stop it. Go away. He's my friend.' I plead silently. My heart has other ideas. The sensation grows stronger. I feel Gale grip on me tighten as my knees spontaneously give out.

"Katniss!" he gasps. I've worried him even more. I clutch onto him as I pull myself back up and rest against the wall behind me for support. Once I've steadied myself, I look up at him, his eyes already on me. I sift past the worry and the fear in his expression and find something else…love. Any sort of façade he had built up over the past few weeks is now gone. This time, I don't try to push it out the way, creating another awkward moment. This time, I don't want to.

"Catnip." he quietly starts.

"Gale, come here." I whimper as I motion for him. He lowers his face until it is level with mine. I move my hands up to his shoulders, steadying myself again, unsure of how I can feel this delicate and weak. Never would I have used those words to describe me, but in this moment they fit. Maybe it has something to do with my nerves at the moment…because of what I'm about to do. I'm about to change everything. I snake one hand behind his neck and move myself forward until his lips are on mine. The stiffness of his lips reveals his shock but that quickly melts away as he quickly picks up the rhythm. His arms wind around my waist, securing me to him as he deepens the kiss.

I try to take in everything about our first kiss. We've kissed other times before but this is different. This isn't about trying to prove something. We both want this. I'm surprise at how natural and effortless this feels. Perhaps it is because I am not trying to build up walls like the previous time we tried this.

My heart beats wildly and my desire for him grows with each passing minute. I'm starting to understand other girls' fascination with him. It's no wonder why they'd talk about him in halls and follow him around. I can't help but feel a little foolish for not recognizing it sooner but then I realize that I had someone else distracting me. I was too blind to realize how amazing he is.

I wait for him to end the kiss but then realize he has no intention of doing so. I slow down my kisses before gently breaking away from him.

"We should get back…make sure everyone is ok." I say as I play with the hair on the back of his head.

"Yeah." he replies, gazing back at me. I release him from me and take his hand, leading him outside the cabin. It takes us longer than anticipated to get back to District 12 due to the destruction. While some parts of the forest remain unscathed, other parts have trees that have been uprooted and gashes in the earth. Gale keeps me closer, protecting me from any harm.

After hiding our gear, we make our way under the fence, back into our district. Even from where we are standing, it is evident that the tornado struck down in the Seam. Before Gale can even say anything, I'm already walking towards the Seam. He stops me before I can go too far.

"Go home. Check on your family." he tells me.

"Yours first." I insist.

"Ok." he says, walking toward his home. I grow nervous as we walk by destroyed home and weeping families screaming for help. Gale grips my hand and I am unsure if he is doing this for my sake or his. I silently beg for the safety of his family. I don't know what either of us would do if something bad happened.

I feel slightly relieved when I see that their house is still standing but that doesn't mean that something devastating isn't waiting for us inside. Gale drops my hand and starts sprinting for his front door. I so the same and manage to catch up for him. He burst through the door and discover an empty house.

"Mom?" he shouts into the air. "Mom!" He starts searching the house, opening doors to each room. He lets out a sigh of relief when he sees his mother with his three siblings, snuggled up to her while she reads them a story. Upon seeing us, Hazelle puts down the book and hurries to us.

"Gale! Katniss!" she exclaims as she takes each one of us in her embrace. "You had us so worried!" She releases us and then examines Gale for any injury.

"Mom, I'm fine." he says, somewhat embarrassed by his mother's behavior.

"No matter how big you get or how old you are, you will always be my child and I will always worry about you." she says with sincerity.

"You're lucky you have a mother that cares." I tell him replacing his embarrassment with guilt. It's not what I was going for. I just wanted to make him see how amazing his mother truly is.

"And let me take a look at you." Hazelle says coming over to me. While others might mistake this statement for pity, I know it's not the case. I know that Hazelle considers me part of their family. When she sees that both of us made it out unscathed, she suggests that Gale walk me home. We walk uncomfortably through the Seam, to the sounds of devastation and sorrow. I walk as fast as I can until I am on the front steps on my porch.

"Katniss." Gale starts in a serious tone. I know what he wants to talk about even before he can say it. He wants to know about why I kissed him. Before words can be exchanged, I see my front door open and Prim running towards me.

"Katniss!" she screeches as she collides into me.

"Prim, what's wrong?"

"I was so worried about you." she cries.

"I'm fine. I'm right here." I gently calm her.

"Mom had to go help in the Seam—" she starts

"She left you here?" I ask, now angry. She always lets Prim go with her.

"She said it wasn't safe." she explains.

"So she left you alone."

"She needed to help the people. Katniss don't be mad." she says crying into me. I feel Gale's hand on my shoulder, gaining his attention.

"I should get back." he says. I nod my head. "We can talk later."

"Yes, later." I reply. He walks down the stairs as I lead my little sister back into the house.

I'm really interested in what you have to say about this chapter. I know some of you will hate the fact that Katniss is with Gale but I'm sure others are happy to have some Galeniss in this fanfic. Let me know your thoughts in the reviews :)