The doctors warned everyone that Cato would not be coherent after his surgery, and that he was likely to sleep for the rest of the day, but that simply isn't the case. In fact, Cato is upset that he can't go home at that very second.

"C'mon! You removed the shit and it's gone now. You're supposed to make me better and let me go home. I'm better now," Cato insists, irritated.

The nurse stubbornly tries to make Cato understand. "Sir, you need a couple days to cooperate-"

"Which I can do from home. Who the hell is in charge? It couldn't be you; you're an idiot. Where's Dr. Aurelius?" Cato barks. He was getting more angry by the second.

"I'm right here, Cato," Dr. Aurelius says softly. "Cato, it's important that you know that the surgery was a success, but the pressure of the tumor on your brain might have caused some serious damage. These outbreaks of yours are a concern, and we cannot release you if we have any reason to believe that you could be a danger to anyone or yourself. You need to calm down."

Cato rolls his eyes. "You have got to be fucking kidding me. I feel fine. When can I go home?"

"Who will you be staying with?" Dr. Aurelius asks.

"My Uncle Gem. He's waiting for me in the waiting room, I think," Cato explains.

Dr. Aurelius nods his head. "Alright. We're going to keep you here overnight for observation and if we feel you are doing better then, we'll release you until your next visit. Let me just-son… what are you doing?"

"What the hell does it look like I'm doing?" Cato asks. He begins to undress, put on his regular clothing, and pulls the IV out of his arm without the slightest issue. "I'm going home. I'll come back if I need you."

Man, this kid was just too much. Dr. Aurelius wonders how his parents deal with him at home. "I really must insist that you stay for the night."

"Dully noted. Thanks for fixing my head, doc," Cato snickers. He wouldn't allow anyone to control him. He was going home tonight and that was that. Hospitals are for the weak and sick anyway. He feels just fine now.

Dr. Aurelius tilts his head, lost in thought. Never in his career has he ever witnessed someone function like this after surgery. Cato should have been exhausted, knocked out and very much sleeping for several days. "I'll let you go home under one condition," he says.

Cato looks up expectantly. "And what is the condition?"

"You are on bed-rest until your next visit and you are to call us if you don't feel right. No exceptions," Dr. Aurelius explains. The look he gives Cato is very serious.

"Fine," Cato agrees. He wouldn't mind getting a couple days off to relax and sleep in a little. He felt fine, but he was also tired. He just couldn't find it in him to tell anyone. He expected it, though, to feel a little groggy. "Is Peeta still here?"

"Peeta?" Dr. Aurelius asks. "I thought his name was Marvel. He's in the waiting room with another friend of yours-Cloove, I think."

Cato shakes his head. "No, not that one. And her name is Clove. Peeta is the blonde one. Is he still here?"

"Oh, that one. I thought he was your younger brother," Dr. Aurelius says. Cato shudders at the thought of Peeta being or looking like his brother. They looked nothing alike. This guy was just crazy. "Yes, he's here. He's in the waiting room, too."

"Thanks," Cato says before strutting out of the room. He wasn't about to wait for permission to leave.

The waiting room is nearly empty. Peeta is the only one waiting for him, quietly reading a magazine.

"Have you been here the whole time?" Cato asks, interrupting his thoughts.

"Cato! Did you already have the surgery? You look amazing!" Peeta says.

Cato smiles at his enthusiasm. "Yeah, got out a couple hours ago. Are you the only one here?"

"Oh, um… your family went to the cafeteria, I think. Marvel and Clove went to the gift shop. I think Gloss and Cashmere are here, too," Peeta explains.

"Gloss is here? Why?" Cato asks. He's not sure if he's irritated or relieved to hear this information, but it still comes across in the negative.

Peeta doesn't know how to answer him. He's not entirely sure of the situation. "Uh… to make sure you're okay, I guess. Is everything alright?"

Snapping back to reality, Cato nods his head. "Yeah. We just had a fight is all."

"No, I mean… are you alright? You seem so normal after having such a big surgery," Peeta explains. Something didn't feel right.

Cocking an eyebrow, Cato makes light of the observation. "Yeah, I'm fine. Do you have a phone I could use? I want to call my uncle and tell him I'm ready to go home."

"Oh! Uh… yeah." Peeta reaches into his pocket and fetches his cellphone. It's nearly dead now. He's been at the hospital waiting for Cato for several hours, almost an entire day.

Cato gladly accepts the phone and dials his uncle's number. He was beginning to feel a little more sleepy. A nap would be so nice right about now.

The phone rings twice before Gem picks up. "Hello?" he asks.

Cato can hear him just a couple feet behind him. He turns around, sees his uncle, and hangs up the phone. "Hey, Uncle Gem."

"Cato! You're out of surgery already? Look at you! You look terrific, my boy," Gem says with a grin. He approaches Cato and gives him a warm, heart-felt hug. "How long will you be here before I can take you home?"

"You can take me home now," Cato says. "In fact, now would be great. I want to get out of here before anyone else shows up."

"Why's that? Don't you want to see your friends and parents?" Gem asks.

Cato shakes his head. "No, I just want to get some rest. I'll see them tomorrow."

Gem nods in understanding. He knows Cato more than any other relative in the family. "Alright. Let me sign you out and we'll get going."

"Oh, Uncle Gem!" Cato clutches Peeta's arm and brings him forward. "This is Peeta. He's going to be staying over."

Gem looks down at Peeta's shy form, observing him with curiosity. "It's very nice to meet you, Peeta."

Peeta offers him a genuine smile. Cato's uncle seemed very nice. "You, too, sir."

"Please, just call me Gem. Do you need to get anything from home? We have some spare supplies; toothbrushes, deodorant, maybe a couple things that might fit you. I have a couple guest rooms that Cato likes to use for his friends," the man explains.

"Oh. Okay. Thank you," Peeta says.

Cato shifts uncomfortably. "Alright, lets get out of here before anyone shows up."

"Sure thing, my boy," Gem chuckles. "Lets get going then."

After signing Cato out, the trio waste no time and make their way to Gem's van. Peeta automatically makes his way to the middle row, assuming Cato will be sitting in the front. Before he can reach over to shut the door, Cato makes himself comfortable in the middle row next to Peeta. They smile at one another as Gem starts the engine and begins to travel home.

Although excited to see Cato, Peeta feels slightly nervous. He isn't sure why he feels so uncomfortable. Gem was nice, Cato wanted his company, and they both treated him very well. Maybe he was just nervous about the situation; being so close to Cato, whom openly confessed his feelings for him just hours ago. Cato, on-the-other-hand, doesn't seem uncomfortable in the least bit. In fact, he clicks off his seatbelt, scoots himself towards the middle seat, and lays down, resting his head in Peeta's lap. Exhaustion was finally starting to pull him in.

Peeta is unsure what to do. He notices Gem quickly scan them through his rear-view mirror, but he doesn't seem bothered by what he sees in the least bit. He spends the remainder of his time observing the road. Peeta looks down at his lap, watching Cato's sleepy form comfortably buried into him. He caresses Cato's blonde hair with a hesitant hand. Cato doesn't stir, only buries his face deeper into his lap, even more comfortable.

Like Cato's home, Gem's place is beautiful. The two-story building is warm and inviting. Cato pulls Peeta by the wrist upstairs and into his room. He is growing too tired to do much else. They make their way inside and Peeta observes the spacious room. It looks like a vacation living room and bedroom tied into one. Cato immediately makes himself comfortable on the bed.

"Help yourself to whatever. There's movies underneath the tv, video games, books, whatever. I'm going to take a nap. You can stay in here or the guest room," Cato says.

"Won't the noise wake you?" Peeta asks.

Cato shakes his head. "I'm a heavy sleeper. The bathroom's connected to that door over there," he points to his right. "Don't worry about waking me up. I'm just going to rest my eyes for a bit. My head is kinda starting to hurt."

"Okay," Peeta says, feeling slightly uncomfortable. It was awkward being in a room while somebody slept. "Can I get you anything?"

"No," Cato answers. "Just wake me up in an hour. And, um… thanks for coming over."

"You're welcome," Peeta says softly, offering a small smile.

Cato smiles back. He pulls his shirt over his body, revealing his very athletic form, much to Peeta's pleasure. He watches as Cato continues to undress, quickly tearing his gaze away when Cato catches him staring. He could make this difficult for the young blonde, but chooses to save him from the embarrassment this time and lays down in the bed, tossing his clothes to the floor, and covering his bottom-half with the maroon blanket before instantly falling asleep. Not knowing what else to do, Peeta decides to do his homework on the desk next to the bed, vouching to pick a less noisy task.

[Content removed to ensure rule compliance]

It's so close, and… there's that annoying fucking ringtone again!

Cato heatedly shakes his head and opens his eyes. His sight is still blurry. He tries to focus when he notices Peeta is quietly reading a book at his desk. That was a fucking dream?

Peeta looks over at Cato, notices he's awake. "Your phone's been going off for a while. I think your friends are trying to get a hold of you," he says.

Scoffing at the annoyance, Cato completely ignores his phone. Of course his friends were trying to get a hold of him. He left without saying a word. He should probably call them, but he doesn't feel like it at the moment. He's pissed off that he was woken up and that his dream was in fact just a dream. It felt so real. "What time is it?" he asks.

"I guess it's time to wake up now. It's been an hour," Peeta answers.

Cato nods his head. "You hungry?"

"Are you?" Peeta asks. He could use some food, but he hated to be a bother.

"Starving," Cato answers. "Lets grab something. I'll meet you in the kitchen."

"Okay," Peeta agrees. He sets his book aside and heads downstairs into the kitchen. Cato's uncle is already there.

"Oh, hey there. You hungry? I was thinking about ordering something for all of us," Gem says.

"Oh, um… I'm waiting for Cato, but he's definitely hungry," Peeta answers with a soft tone. He was feeling slightly uncomfortable. Meeting new people was always hard.

Gem nods his head. "You're pretty shy, you know that?"

Peeta's cheeks flush a deep pink. "I… I guess."

"It's cute," Gem says with a smirk.

What the hell? Peeta gives him a quizzical look when Cato finally comes downstairs with some pants on.

"Hey, Uncle Gem. What do we have for food around here?" he asks.

"I was thinking about ordering something." Gem says. "What are you in the mood for?"

Cato shrugs his shoulders. "Haven't had pizza in a while."

"That sounds good. Peeta, are you alright with pizza?" Gem asks.

Peeta nods his head. "Yeah, sounds great. Whatever you guys want is good."

Gem excuses himself to order the pizza, already knowing what Cato will want. A quiet chime goes off and catches Peeta's attention. It's his cell phone. The number is blocked. He answers it just in case his family is trying to get a hold of him. "Hello?"

"Hey Peeta," a female voice says.

"Hey Katniss. Your number is showing up as a blocked number. What's up?" Peeta asks.

"Sorry, I'm using Prim's phone. Mine's dead." She explains. "Um… nothing much. I was just wondering if you talked with Gale at all?"

"Nope. Haven't heard from him. Why don't you just give him a call? I'm sure he'd be happy to hear from you," Peeta offers.

Katniss frowns. "I tried, but his phone is off again."

"Oh," Peeta says. "What about Myka and Finnick? Maybe they're together?"

Contemplating her options, Katniss realizes it's probably the best choice. "Okay, I'll give them a call. Thanks Peeta." Hanging up, she stares at the cell phone in her hand. Was she ready for this? She takes in a deep breath, swallows her pride, and dials Finnick's number.

It rings five times before going to voicemail. Finnick is too distracted to even notice it had been ringing.

It only seemed appropriate that Finnick and Myka would be eating octopus. They laugh at the contradiction, playing with their sushi, and feed one another with playful kisses. Their fun comes to a halt when Wes makes his appearance in the restaurant. He had a plan.

"Myka, is that you?" he says with a large smile.

At this, Myka's body completely freezes in place. Finnick notices his sharp breath intake and wide, fearful eyes; and he looks over at Wes, easily towering over the both of them and very built with an intimidating aura about him that just screamed 'I could kill you with one blow.' Myka takes a hard gulp and says, "W-Wes. What are you doing here?"

"I was just getting some food when I thought I recognized you," Wes says, leaning in and kissing Myka on the cheek. Finnick watches them in uncomfortable silence, completely dumbstruck. He couldn't understand what was going on. Wes looks over at him and reaches his arm out, "Who's your friend?"

"Finnick Odair," Finnick answers for Myka and shakes the outstretched hand. "I'm his boyfriend," he says with confidence and a sharp eye, wondering if he should be worried by this man's presence.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Finnick," Wes says. He looks over at Myka. "Why didn't you tell me about him? He's definitely nothing to hide," he says with a wink.

These two have a history? Why didn't Myka tell Finnick about him? Finnick finds himself growing slightly suspicious. "How do you two know each other?"

"We've been friends for years," Wes answers with a smirk. He grabs a chair and makes himself comfortable, sitting on it backwards with his arms resting on the head.

Myka's already pale skin becomes chalk white. Then, as if by some conspiracy, his phone starts ringing. Wes and Finnick watch him, but he doesn't move.

"Oh, please. Don't let my presence keep you from your phone call. Answer it," Wes offers with a grin.

Myka looks at Finnick, unknowing how to deal with this situation.

"It's probably Gale. Go ahead and answer it and tell me what he's decided," Finnick says.

Perfect.

Finnick watches Myka with a curious glance as he hesitantly walks away from the table and towards the restroom for more privacy. "I've never seen him act like that."

"He must be worried that I'll tell you about his history," Wes says with a shrug.

"History?" Finnick asks.

"Oh shit," Wes says, smacking his forehead. "I shouldn't have said that. I apologize. Please pretend I didn't say anything."

"Wait," Finnick insists, "what kind of history?"

Wes lets out a sigh. "I really don't want to say anything, but you seem very nice and it doesn't look like he's being very upfront with you. Myka… has a bit of a reputation."

"Reputation?" Finnick repeats. "What kind of reputation?"

"Well," Wes starts, "Myka likes to… keep his options open."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Finnick demands. He was getting tired of these word games, more anxious, worried.

Wes shakes his head as if graved to have to share this information. "Well, to be honest, I didn't think you were his type. He usually goes for the dark-haired, light-eyed bad boy, and he doesn't do 'boyfriends,' if you catch my drift. Unless, of course, it's kept on the down low. He doesn't want it to get out that he's not available. Usually picks up a man or two at the bar; that's always been his game. It's how he got a job there, too. Booze, drugs, it's kind of his lifestyle. He's never been faithful to anyone is all I'm saying."

Finnick shakes his head and laughs. "You must not have seen him in a long time. Myka isn't like that."

"I didn't realize he'd changed much since I last saw him a few weeks ago," Wes chuckles. His face becomes serious. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I've said way too much. I'm so sorry. I should go."

"Wait!" Finnick pleads when Wes begins to get up from the table. "What did he do a couple weeks ago?"

"It's really not my place-" Wes says.

"Please," Finnick begs with wide green eyes.

Wes takes his seat back at the table. "I don't know if you're aware of this, but he's been living with someone-"

"Oh," Finnick sighs in relief. "That's just Gale. They're just friends."

"You so sure about that?" Wes asks.

Finnick's mouth gapes open, but the words do not come out. They couldn't… they wouldn't… no. It wasn't possible. And it was just plain silly.

Just then Myka approaches them with a stern look. "Gale says he's at his mom's place. He wants us to go over and help him pack. Sorry, but we've got to go. It was… nice... seeing you."

"The pleasure is all mine," Wes says with the smug look of a snake. He pulls Myka in for a forced hug, caressing his backside at an angle that Finnick cannot see. It's a small victory, touching his pet like this again, and in front of the new boyfriend. Myka tries not to make his discomfort obvious, but his cheeks turn red in embarrassment and anger. Finnick mistakes it as a blush.

"Lets go," Myka finally whispers, pulling Finnick as far as possible from the table.

Hopefully things were going better for Gale at his mother's place.

A knock on the door interrupts Hazelle Hawthorne from her phone call. She excuses herself to answer it. When she opens the door, her heart nearly stops beating in her chest. She watches the young man before her for several minutes with wide blue eyes and suddenly lunges for him, hugging him tightly. "Gale! You're home!"

"Hi, Mom," Gale says awkwardly, trying his best to return the heart-felt hug. He was never one for touching. They break away from their embrace and he shifts from foot to foot, rubbing his neck out of nervous habit.

"Come in, baby," Hazelle says, opening the door wider to grant him access.

Walking inside, Gale notices a few things have changed since he'd left. The living room looks completely different; it had been re-painted, the furniture's replaced, and the decorations were changed. His mother had been trying to keep her mind busy, constantly looking for new tasks around the house so that she wouldn't break down and lose it. She had missed him so much. "Um… the living room looks nice."

Hazelle smiles at her son. "You really think so? I just started doing the kitchen. Figured it was time for a change."

"Yeah," Gale says. "It looks nice."

Hugging him for a second time, she tries to constrain her happiness. "I'm so happy that you're home, baby. I left your room exactly how you left it."

With a heavy heart, Gale nibbles on his bottom lip. This was going to be more difficult than he thought. "Actually, that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. I'm moving out."

"Moving out?" Hazelle shrieks in disbelief. He had just come back home! "Where? Why?"

Gale lets out a sigh. "I can't stay here, Mom. The friend I've been living with, he's moving in with his… friend, and he asked me if I wanted to come along. I told him 'yes.' We're actually starting the move tonight. It's… not far from here. It's a nice four bedroom house on Burberry-"

"How are you supposed to afford a four bedroom house on Burberry? What about school? What about-"

"Mom!" Gale shouts. "Relax. Listen, I'm working at a bar with my friend. And the house is already paid for. It belonged to the friend's parents before they died. Now that he's legal, he can live in it. And I'll still be going to school."

"What about your brothers and sister? Don't you miss home at all?" Hazelle asks, fighting the tears that are threatening to fall.

"It's just a couple miles away and you guys can come visit whenever you want," Gale explains. He really wouldn't mind if they visited once in a while. He just couldn't live in this house anymore. It brought too many painful memories. They needed to understand.

Hazelle shakes her head, her golden curls bouncing with the momentum. "I don't even know these friends of yours. How long have you even known them? You've only brought Katniss around and she doesn't even know them that well! Is that how you treat your friends? By finding new ones and leaving them behind? Leaving them and your family?" She didn't mean those words, but she was so frustrated.

"Katniss and I are still friends. It's complicated. But Myka is my best friend. We have more in common," Gale tries to explain.

"Oh, great. So my son is moving in with another depressed teenager that drinks all day and night and doesn't care about his family," Hazelle huffs.

She's pushing it. Gale's temper is beginning to flare back. "What the hell? You've got it all wrong. You don't even know him, so don't act like you do. We've both been through some tough shit and you don't get it!"

"Tough shit?" Hazelle asks. "Losing your father didn't just affect you, Gale! He was my husband, and believe it or not, we'd been together a lot longer than you've even been born! Your brothers and sister were hurt by it too! Stop acting like his death only hurts you!"

Unable to stop the emotions, Gale shouts at her. "It does affect me more because it was my fault that he died!"

In that very moment, Hazelle sees something she's never witnessed from her son before; he begins to cry. She watches in shock as he attempts to wipe away his tears, mask his emotions with anger. But he can't stop crying. "Baby," she whispers, "don't say that. Don't you ever say that! It wasn't your fault, baby. It was an accident that no one could stop."

"You don't get it!" Gale cries. He can't take anymore of this. He turns away from her, races to the door, swings it open and goes running to his car.

"Gale!" Hazelle shouts. "Don't go! Please! Come back!"

Before Gale makes it to his jeep, a red convertible parks just in front of the house and Finnick and Myka appear. Myka notices Gale is crying and immediately races towards him, wraps his arms around Gale's shaking form and holds him. They both fall to the ground as Gale continues to weep, burying his face into Myka's neck.

"Shhh," Myka whispers. "It's okay, Gale. I'm here." He rubs small circles into Gale's back, comforting him. The contact is immensely helpful and begins to relax him.

"Lets go," Gale begs. "Lets get out of here right now."

Confused and unsure, Myka helps lift him up. "Lets go inside for a minute. I promise we'll go very soon."

Choking back a sob, Gale tries to protest. "But-"

"Trust me," Myka says, his yellow-green eyes boring into Gale's sad, gray ones. He kisses the top of his forehead and ushers for him to follow.

Though the kiss was only one of comfort, Finnick can't help but feel uncomfortable. He finds himself wondering if Myka and Gale had ever slept with one another. Their relationship was extremely close. And from what he had gathered, they shared a bed in the same room. If it came down between him and Gale, would Myka choose Gale? Perhaps Wes was right… No. That couldn't be true. He shakes the thought from his mind and follows them inside.

Unknowing what to do, Myka tries to break the awkward tension. "Hi, um… you must be Gale's mother?"

"Yes," she says. "Hazelle Hawthorne." She shakes Myka's outstretched hand, appreciating his respect, but instantly notices a trail of tattoos on his arm. This boy was probably wild and dangerous. She doesn't want Gale anywhere near him.

Myka doesn't notice the distrust on her face. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Hawthorne. I'm Myka Volkayne. And this," he points at Finnick, who in turn reaches his arm out and shakes her hand, "is my boyfriend, Finnick Odair. Gale's been living with me for a while, and um… well… I don't really know what's going on from this point on, to be honest."

Everyone looks at Gale, waiting for him to answer. Hazelle already hates these boys. They're taking her son away from her and they're gay? What kind of bullshit was going on? "They're here to help me pack," Gale explains. He still looks upset, but he's definitely calmed down a lot.

"B-boyfriend?" Hazelle asks with a shaky voice. She looks over at her son. "What? Are you gay now, too? You're losing your mind, Gale! There's no way in hell that I'm letting you leave with them. In fact," she looks over at Myka and Finnick. "I think it's time you boys left."

"I'm not gay, and they're not leaving," Gale snarls.

This is exactly what Myka had been dreading. Finnick nods his head, knowing he is unwelcome. It's a strange feeling and one that he is completely unfamiliar with. Everyone loves Finnick. "No, it's okay. I'll just… wait for you guys outside." He wasn't trying to make matters worse.

Hazelle finds herself feeling even more uncomfortable. Great, the good looking one leaves and the wild one stays behind. But it's Myka who feels the most nervous. "I'm going to wait outside, too," he says.

"I need help with some of my things," Gale says. "You said you'd come over to help me."

Feeling trapped, Myka doesn't know whether to leave or stay. He wasn't looking to start any problems, and Gale was putting him in a very difficult position to be in. "I… I'm not trying to disrespect your mom, Gale."

Hazelle observes him with a confused look on her face. He seemed very polite and genuinely kind. Perhaps this was his way of getting Gale.

"Fuck that. Come help me pack so we can get the hell out of here," Gale demands. The longer they stayed, the more angry he'd become.

Out of options, Myka gives Hazelle a pleading look. "This isn't my home. I don't want any trouble for anyone. I'll wait for Gale outside if you'd prefer, Ms. Hawthorne."

Looking from Myka to Gale, back to Myka, and back to Gale again, Hazelle isn't sure what to do. She observes Myka carefully, as if a wave of evil is just waiting to make itself known, but it never does. He continues to stand there awkwardly, waiting for further direction. "I don't want my son living with two gay men," she says honestly.

"What the hell do you think they're going to do?" Gale demands. "Think they'll rape me in my sleep?"

"Gale!" Hazelle and Myka shout in unison. Though her judgement may be misplaced, his vulgarity is simply uncalled for.

Rolling his eyes at their proper display, Gale decides he's not going to discuss this anymore. He walks over to Myka and pulls him by arm, trying to lead him to his old bedroom.

"Wait!" Myka urges. This isn't his home. He can't disrespect the house rules or Gale's mother. But Gale ignores him and yanks harder. "I said wait! Stop it, Gale!"

"What?" Gale yells.

Myka gives him a look of disbelief. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Letting out a sigh of frustration, Gale tries to keep his cool, but it's not working so well. "I want to get the hell out of here! You guys don't get it! I need to get away from this house!"

"Why, Gale? Why do you need to leave?" Hazelle cries.

"Because-" Gale begins to truly panic. "I just can't be here! Don't you understand?"

"Understand what, Gale?" Myka presses. He knows his best friend is about to lose it again, but he's also on the verge of finally letting everything out. He needed to release it, to be rid of all that has been eating at him for years. "What is it that you hate about this place so much? What is it, Gale? Tell us so we can help you!"

"I can't be near him!" Gale shouts.

"Near who, baby?" Hazelle asks, keeping her distance as she knows her son is in very dangerous territory at the moment.

"Dad!" Gale cries. "I killed him!"

Hazelle shakes her head. "Baby, no. That's not tr-"

"It was the day Cato and I stopped talking!" He sobs. "We stayed the night at his uncle's house, and we were playing video games. Gem came into the room and brought us drinks, but they didn't taste right. Cato fell asleep, kept saying that he felt weird. And I couldn't sleep at all. It was like I had all this energy and I couldn't stop shaking, but I was also really dizzy and couldn't control anything around me. I thought it would go away if I took a shower. When I got out, Gem was there in the room with me. I couldn't understand why he was there, but I felt so out of it, I didn't think anything of it. He helped me get in the bed and gave me another drink. It was frizzy, and he said it would help me sleep, but it just made me really groggy and sick. Then he… he laid in the bed with me, and he kept rubbing my thighs, and I couldn't understand why he was doing it!"

Hazelle watches her son with wide blue eyes, caught in shock.

"He pulled my towel off," Gale continues between sobs, "and… he… he… When I got home, I told Dad and he was so angry. I knew he had been drinking, but I told him anyway because I wanted to tell somebody! He got killed in that accident because of me! Because I wasn't man enough to handle it myself! I killed him! I killed Dad!"

It was all out in the open. Gale falls to his knees in a heaping mess, the tears falling freely now. Hazelle races over to him, wraps her arms around her son, and cries with him.

Across the room, Myka also quietly weeps. Finnick had let himself back into the house when he heard Gale yelling to make sure everyone was alright. What he saw was more than he could comprehend. He holds Myka tight and kisses his temple sadly. Now he understood their bond, but it still made him uncomfortable not knowing the extent of it.