I know it's been a while since my last update but this chapter is a long one. I know a lot of you like Merrick (even the usually Galeniss fans); try not to think about him too much and enjoy the Galeness.

Chapter 30

The next few weeks go by like a whirlwind. It's funny. In all the time I've known Gale, I thought I had everything figured out about him. He's full of surprises. First is the fact that he has a romantic side to him, something I never would have guessed. They are not big gestures, just little things like gathering bouquets of flowers when he goes hunting or writing short notes for me during his lunch break in the mines. I try to do the same although it takes a lot more effort to think of something good.

I am also surprised that he actually has a good singing voice. In all my years of being his friend, I had not once heard him even hum a tune. Last weekend when we were relaxing in the clearing, I started to sing the Valley Song. He hummed along and then joined in with the lyrics. It makes me wonder what else he has hidden up his sleeves.

On Sundays we hunt together. Instead of meeting at the clearing, Gale meets me at my house. While I wait for him to arrive, I prepare a lunch to take with us. I can't help but notice he's running later than usual today. I begin to wonder what could possibly be taking so long. I wait on the stairs in the hallway for a half an hour before I give up on him showing up. I ascend the stairs, annoyed and disheartened by his absence. When I reach the top of the staircase, I hear the door open and close. I look down at the foyer and see Gale looking up at me. Before I can move, he's quickly climbing the stairs. When he reaches me, he takes me in his arms and hold onto me firmly. Even with his face hidden I know something is wrong.

"What is it?" I gently ask him. He slowly inhales and exhales, letting out a sigh in the process. No words follow this. I slowly push him back from me so I can see his face. Worry and stress are etched into his forehead. "What's wrong Gale?" I gently coo to him.

"They cut back our hours at the mines." he states.

"Did they give a reason?" I ask, confused.

"There's a surplus due to the unseasonable warm weather." he says. "I begged to the foreman for a few more hours a week but he said there was nothing he could do."

"Then we'll just have to rely on hunting." I say, trying to be optimistic.

"Yeah." he sneers with cynicism. He doesn't need to say anything more for me to know what he's saying. It's more difficult to hunt in winter. Some animals have migrated or are in hibernation. Others are more difficult to reach, especially in the case of snow.

"I've been up all night thinking about this."

"Let's rest a little." I say, pulling him towards my room.

"No, we should hunt." he resists me.

"Your family is coming over for dinner." I remind him. It' one less meal he'll have to worry about.

"Ok." he concedes. I lead him down the hall to my room. I close the door behind us. Gale sits on the edge my bed, removing his boots before burying himself beneath the covers. I join him and stare at him. Through the silence, I can still see he mind is churning with thoughts. I know he is worrying about his family and how they will have enough to survive. I can barely stand it to see him like this.

"You always have me to fall back on." I tell him, caressing his cheek.

"I don't want that." he stubbornly replies. "It's my job to provide for them."

I let out a heavy sigh from his response. We've had this conversation before and it annoys me that he still won't take my offer. I silently curse his antiquated gender roles. I have more than enough money to take of both our families.

"So you'd rather have them starve?" I mutter.

"No, never." he says. "It'll be fine… we'll be fine. Rory will have to take tessera…and Vick can sign up in the spring."

"No!" I refute. At this point, I think he's gone a little mad. He's fought to hard to keep their low number of entries in the reaping bowl.

"Katniss, I had 42 and I made it out fine."

"Yeah, and Prim only had one and look where that got her."

"So then it doesn't matter." he reasons. I hold my tongue, not wanting to worsen the arguing. I know he can tell I'm angry and I watch him as he thinks of something to say.

"What good am I to them if I cannot provide for them?" he mumbles.

"You're their brother Gale…and Hazelle's son." I say in disbelief of his words. In addition to these roles, he has also taken on the role of father, helping to raise his siblings and being the primary provider in his family.

"I feel so useless, Katniss." he whispers, his face nestled next to mine.

"You are far from useless. You do so much for them."

"But what if I fail? What if things go downhill from here?" he questions out loud.

"They love you, Gale." I say before lightly kissing his lips in hope to cheer him up. "And I love you." I whisper and kiss him again. He looks at me with a crooked smile and it takes me a few seconds before I realize my confession. It's the first time I've ever said those words to him.

"You love me?" he murmurs tracing the outline of my face, wearing a big smile.

"Yes." I whisper back. His lips come crashing down on mine, with heated passion. He's been waiting years to finally hear those words from me. Gale's kisses become more fervent and it isn't long before his body is hovering above mine. His lips part from mine before making contact with my neck. He is able to coax out light moans from me with the way he roughly sucks on my skin.

"Where's your family?" he asks, bringing his face back to mine.

"Out." I whisper. A mischievous grin appears on his face before he kisses my lips. This time, I feel one of his hands slip under my shirt trailing up my ribcage. Just as he cups my breast, I hear the front door open and close with a loud thud. Footsteps start running up the stairs.

"Hide!" I exclaim, pushing him off of me.

"Hide?" he says with a laugh.

"I'm not supposed to have boys in my room." I tell him. It's a true statement although I have broken this rule many times with Merrick.

"But Katniss, I'm just your friend." he says playfully before kissing my lips. "What on Earth would two friends be doing alone in a room together?" he adds tracing the outline of my body with his hands. He's right. We haven't told our families about us yet. We thought it best to keep it quiet while we were still figuring out our feelings for each other.

My door clicks open and Gale scoots away from me before Prim can see anything. Her face lights up when she sees Gale and she runs to give him a hug.

"Gale!"

"Hello Prim." he says returning the hug.

"I'm so happy your family is coming over tonight." she says with a smile.

"Me too." he replies.

"We got the stuff from the market." she says to me while sitting between us.

"Good."

"Mom thinks we should start soon." she mentions.

"Ok."

"You want to stay Gale?" she asks him.

"No, I'm not too handy in the kitchen. I should be going anyway." he says. We walk down together and I tell Prim I will be there in a minute. I reach for the doorknob but before I get to it, Gale is pinning me against the door with his body, kissing my lips one more time.

"Are you crazy? You're going to get us caught!" I say in a hushed voice after pushing them away.

"Maybe it's time they found out."

"I don't know." I mutter.

"Think about it." Gale says, kissing my forehead before making his exit.

That's exactly what I do. I spend the next few hours thinking about what he said while I help my mother and sister. I wonder what our mothers would think about the two of us being together. My thoughts are interrupted by a question posed by Prim.

"Katniss, do you ever think of him?" she asks as she peels some potatoes.

"Who?"

"Merrick." she replies. I feel like an idiot for asking that question.

"Yes I do."

"A lot?" she pries.

"It depends on the week I'm having. Sometimes I'll see something that reminds me of him and I'll think of a memory of him."

"You really loved him, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did." I quietly respond.

"Do you think you could love anyone else like that?"

"Maybe. Anything is possible."

"What if he came back?"

"He's not coming back Prim. It's impossible. His job is in District 2."

"But what if?" she huff.

"It would depend on if I was with someone else."

"But I thought you loved him."

"I did, but love is complicated. I really don't want to talk about this now." I tell her. When the last dish is in the oven, I go upstairs to get ready. After my shower, I pull out a pair of pants and a shirt to wear. I dress myself and walk downstairs to find my sister and mother wearing dresses.

"You can't wear that Katniss." my mother sighs.

"Why not?"

"We are having dinner guests."

"It's the Hawthornes." I say. They won't care what I am wearing.

"It doesn't matter. Now go upstairs and change. There are plenty of suitable dresses in your closet."

I trudge back upstairs and grab the first dress I see out of my closet. It's a navy blue sweater dress that hits just above my knee. I slide on a pair of flats and then return downstairs.

"Much better." my mother comments. I don't say anything in response. Instead, I make my way to the dining room to make sure everything is ready. While I am in there the doorbell rings.

"They're here!" Prim exclaims as she run to the entrance of our house. Upon completing my inspection, I walk to the foyer where everyone is greeting and hugging one another. I am glad I changed now that I see that the Hawthornes have dressed up, the boys in their Reaping outfits and Posy in a hand-me-down dress from Prim. Gale finds me and wraps his arms around me and I do the same. He begins to pull away sooner than I'd like. I don't try to stop him. A prolonged embrace would give us away for sure. I quickly find someone else to hug and am embarrassed when I realize that it's my own mother.

After welcoming everyone, I lead our families into the dining room. Everyone takes a seat and I go into the kitchen to start bringing out the food. I'm surprised when I see Gale enter the kitchen on my second trip.

"So, have you thought about it?" he asks.

"I still don't know." I say, handing him a platter of turkey. I then slip on some potholders and start to carry a bowl of potatoes to the table.

"It would be nice to know soon."

"I could just say no right now. How does that sound?" I ask, blocking his way.

"Take your time, then." he mutters before entering the dining room.

"Katniss, he's a guest!" my mother hounds me. I place my bowl on the table and grab the platter from Gale's hand, slamming it on the middle of the table.

"Better?" I ask before storming out of the room. I'm annoyed with everything right now. I lean against the kitchen wall and pinch the bridge of my nose, taking deep breaths to calm myself. Prim quietly sneaks in and starts helping. I grab another bowl and follow her into the room and then take my seat, conveniently located next to Gale. I immerse myself in the conversation taking place and avoid looking at Gale. It seems to work for most of dinner but of course it has to end at some point. I jump when I feel Gale's hand on my knee. He leans in closer to me.

"You look very sexy tonight." he whispers, moving his fingers up my inner thigh. I am thankful for the long tablecloth that hides this gesture from anyone with a wandering eye. I smack away his hand and then grab him by the fabric of his sleeve, leading him to the bedroom on the first floor, away from the others.

"Are you out of your mind?" I say, gritting my teeth.

"What?"

"Someone could have heard that."

"But they didn't Katniss."

"You can't just do things like that Gale." I say sitting on the edge of the bed with my head resting on my palm. He gently slides my hand away from my face and presses his forehead to mine.

"I wasn't trying to upset you."

"What if they don't like us being together?" I whisper.

"Katniss, my family is crazy about you."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. You're practically part of the family as it is." he adds. His words calm me, along with the kisses he is now showering on me. Things get heated and he gently lowers me to the bed and presses his body against mine.

"We should get back Gale." I say through heavy breaths.

"Not yet." he mutters.

"Gale they'll hear us." I say in a hushed voice.

"Only if you're loud. Are you loud?" he asks with curiosity. I throw him a glare and push him off of me.

"Oh come on, you set me up for that one." he says. I remain silent. "I was just joking, Catnip."

"Let's just get back." I say, smoothing my hair before I open the door. The room goes silent as we take our seats. I look at each person in the room. The children are busy eating or playing with their food. My mother looks down at her pIate when my eyes meet hers. I look over to Hazelle and see a glimmer in her eye. I think she might be onto us. I decide to ignore it, focusing on my food instead.

"Is there something you want to tell us?" Hazelle asks, addressing both of us.

"I'm not sure. Katniss, is there something you wanted to say?" Gale asks, his body turned towards me. It's my decision. I could lie and say that it's nothing, just friends having an argument, but I know Hazelle would never believe that. I'm afraid this is it. The moment of truth.

"We're together." I nervously state. I see a warm smile spread to Hazelle's face and I can tell she couldn't be happier for us.

"How long?" she asks.

"About a month." Gale says proudly, taking my hand. I look over to my mother who seems indifferent. It's rare to get any emotions of out her. Posy is grinning ear to ear. The boys are shocked. I look to Prim, who looks hurt. I start to ask what's wrong but she storms out of the room.

"I'll be right back." I say, using Gale's shoulder to balance myself when I stand. I call out her name but she doesn't answer back. I find her in the living room, angry tears burning down her face.

"How could you!" she shouts at me.

"Excuse me?" I ask confused.

"You love Merrick." she says in a raised voice…so unlike Prim.

"Yes and he's gone." I shout back.

"So that's it? What happens if he comes back Katniss, like the other times. What will you do then?"

"He's never coming back Prim. I've told you this."

"You're giving up that easy…or are you just using Gale until he gets back." she accuses me. My blood is boiling right now.

"How dare you say that to me!"

"He is your friend Katniss."

"Was my friend." I correct her.

"You can't go falling in love with your friend. It doesn't work like that." she says shaking her head.

"Relationships change all the time."

"He was in your room today." she said wide-eyed.

"Nothing happened." I try to tell her. It' not entirely true but nothing significant happened.

"You should be lucky Peeta isn't around. He'd be disgusted at what you've become." Those words fuel my rage. How dare her bring him up…and to say that. My emotions take over. I want to hurt her like she just hurt me, only I have no words to do so. I raise my hand up but before it can travel towards her, I feel a firm grip on my wrist. I look behind me and see Gale standing there.

"Don't Katniss." he murmurs to me. My hand drop and my tears start to flow about what my sister just said and what I almost did to her. I'd never hurt her. I had promised to protect her. I even volunteered to do so. Was this a result of the Games? I never was a violent person before. My sister gives me a death stare.

"I'm sorry." I apologize. She continues her stare as she starts to walk away. I take a few steps in her direction but Gale holds me back.

"Let her go." he says, holding me close to him. He then mentions something about getting some air and leads me hand-in-hand to the back porch swing. I sit down and feel his arm around my shoulder.

"How could I…" I trail off.

"You're not the only one at fault Katniss. I heard what she said." he reveals.

"And what do you think?"

"I think she's naïve. She's never been in love. She has no idea what it's like." he says with a smirk.

"Do you think she'll ever forgive me?" Gale lets out a laugh.

"This is Prim we are talking about. She's too kind to hold a grudge."

"I feel horrible." I say leaning into him.

"If it makes you feel any better, Rory and I get into arguments all the time." I could see that. The two of them are equally stubborn. "Things always work themselves out. Just give her tonight to cool off."

"Maybe you could talk to her." I ask hopefully looking up at him. He nods his head and stands up. I decide to wait out here for him until he's done talking to her. I little solitude might do me some good. I walk out to the hammock and lie there, looking up at the cloud-filled sky. I wish the night were clear so I could look up at the stars, like I used to do with my father. About 20 minutes in, a howling wind blows around me and small raindrops start to fall. I start for the house and by the time I reach the porch, the rain is pouring. As I walk down the hall, Gale meets me.

"I was just coming to check on you."

"It's raining."

"I can tell." he says stroking my damp hair. "Could hear it too. We're about to have dessert."

"Ok. Did you talk to Prim?" I ask him. He nods. "Well?"

"I think I talked some sense into her." he says with a grin.

"Is it safe for me to be around her?"

"I think so." he says, which isn't too uplifting but it's better than a 'no'. We enter the dining room and the rest of our families are waiting for us. I avoid looking at Prim initially because I am afraid of what she thinks of me. We've had arguments before but not like this. I quickly eat my pie which I don't really notice until I'm finished. Everyone else still has plenty left on their plate. I guess I just want this night to be over. I excuse myself and sit in the kitchen, on the wide windowsill. I look out at the lightning and think of the Quarter Quell. The clock in the hallway start chiming, adding pain in my heart.

"Tick, tock." I murmur. Why did the Gamemakers have to put such commonplace things in the Arena. Perhaps so the victor would always be reminded. At least they aren't outwardly harmful, like blood rain or poisonous fog but they are still there. It's the memories they stir up, that allies I lost, and the one person from my district that understood exactly what I was going though.

"You ok?" Gale says, sitting close to me, breaking my thoughts.

"I'm fine."

"You look sad."

"I don't like thunderstorms. They make me think of other things."

"The Quell?" he questions. I nod my head. He looks unsure of what to say next, which is understandable. There is no way he could ever really know what it was like so he decides to change the subject instead. "We are staying the night here since it's not showing any sign of stopping. I'm the lucky one that gets the couch." he says with sarcasm.

"You can sleep with me."

"You think either of our moms would allow that now?" he asks with a raised brow.

"No, not now." I say, before yawning. All this talk about sleeping has made me realize my own tiredness.

"Let's get you to bed." he says helping me up. He walks me to my room and comes inside. "Don't leave yet." I tell him before going into the bathroom to change. When I emerge, he is sitting on my bed, waiting for me.

"Gale will you stay with me until I fall asleep?" I ask him as I get under the covers.

"Of course." he says lying down next to me. He remains above the covers which isn't really what I want but I don't say anything. Maybe he does this as a precaution in case one of our family members comes in or because at some point he will have to leave. His fingers trace the angles of my face, soothing me with their sweeping motion. His hand eventually slides down my body, resting securely around my waist.

"I love you Katniss." he whispers to me.

"I love you, too." I reply with a small smile and warmth in my heart. I start to believe that this could really work, him and me. We could really be happy together. We deserve it. I silently hope that nothing will change what he have right now.

Lots of things happening in this chapter. Let me know what you like/didn't like about it. REVIEW! ;)