Hello Everyone. I'm sorry if there was any confusion with Gale 'randomly' showing up towards the end of Chapter Two. I guess I forgot you are all not in my mind with me, nor is Katniss and I accidently left you all in the dark. To clear things up as to why Gale would show up at Peeta's house, I added a small part to the beginning (Which ends at 'For a moment, I allowed myself the luxury of forgetting...etc.) just so we're all on the same page. Sorry again if there was any questions on that part.

Just a reminder this story is Rated M(ature) for Adult Content which will appear later in the storyline. Enjoy your read!


"How did you find me?" I asked of him as we made our way out the Victors Village.

"Well I went to your house first, naturally…your mother told me to try where you were, which I thought odd. Having an early breakfast or something?" he asked sarcastically.

I nudged him gently, assuring him it was nothing but he just snorted. "Your boyfriend told me you weren't around though, I almost left without you."

"He's not my boyfriend Gale, lets just…forget about it, hmm?" he nodded, agreeing before I added, "You were going to leave me, huh? Lucky for me you're a slow walker."

He chuckled in a friendly manner, in a way that told me things would be ok, if only for now.

For a moment, I allowed myself the luxury of forgetting. Forgetting everything that happened between my last meeting with Gale, and now. Later, of course I would need to face Haymitch and Peeta, but for now…nothing mattered but this moment.

We make our way through the town, no more words needed, the comfortable silence was just enough for us, until we reach the edge of the gate, and listen. Of course, there was no electricity running through it. The old thing was surely dead. I creep under the fence and pull myself up to my feet just as Gale scuttles through, brushing himself off a bit before meeting my gaze for the first time.

I cant help but smile like an idiot. At seeing him, at being this close to him. It feels like its been so long since we've last seen each other, back in these woods. He had to be proud of me, there was no way he wasn't. After all, I had done the impossible, come out Victor of the toughest survival game there is; The Hunger Games.

I wait for the congratulations, a hug, words of encouragement, anything…but Gale simply moved past me, making his way further into the woods, not even turning to say; "You coming, Catnip?"

I trudge after him. I know now is not the time to talk, but it seems there is no right time anymore. Its not right in the village, where surely we're under surveillance, its not right in the town, with so many ears to pose as witnesses…and its not right in the woods, where it could scare the animals.

"I'm not so sure I can keep up with you anymore, what with you hunting much bigger game now," I'm sure he means this as a joke, but it only makes the bile rise uncomfortably in the back of my throat, and my mouth fill with saliva.

He nudges me with his elbow and gives a wink before pulling his bow back and expertly bring down a small turkey with hardly any damage. I couldn't help but think, if Gale had been in the games, I would have wanted him as a ally immediately. He positively would have scored an eleven in training.

Combined, we bring down two more turkeys, four rabbits, several large squirrels and a fox. We stop for a rest at a nearby stream, sitting by the rocks and picking strawberries and fresh blackberries into a basket. I pull off my sweaty boots and soak my feet in the cool water, splashing some on my feet as well. Oddly enough, I feel like I'm back in the arena, jumping at small movements like animals passing by or a wind hitting a tree branch and straining my ears for every sound. Its unnerving, the way the games have taken my safe haven and turned into a swirling blaze of hellish memories.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Gales asks, leaning against sappy tree, collecting some of its sweet juices and licking it off his finger, his eyebrows arched in question.

My mouth opened as if to say a hundred different things but what comes out of my mouth is so utterly ridiculous, so stupid, even I wince. "So…you're my cousin?"

He stares at me for a long moment before bursting into what I hope were comforting hysterics. I chuckle along side him, awkwardly running a hand through my knotted hair until he died down.

"The Capitols full of good ideas, but the best story line they could come up with for us is that we're…we're…cousins!" he heaves' out, triggering a fresh round of hysterics.

Its true, most of the Seams kids look suspiciously alike, what with all of our olive tinted skin and dark muddy hair, but when it comes to Gale and I, that's where the similarities end.

"Imagine the stories they'd come up with if we had been in the games together!" I giggle, for once feeling…free, laughing back in the woods with Gale, things were normal.

However, lately when things begin to feel normal, reality has a painful way of creeping back in to remind me I am not normal anymore.

Gale's expression hardens until his lips are pressed in a hard line. "I don't know," he ponders for a moment. "I'm not much for stage directions. Some people take to them better than others."

Ouch. That one hurt, since it was obviously a dig towards me. I turn to set my gaze on my feet, hoping I can disguise my hurt in a mask of no emotion. Of course Gale knows me better than that.

"Gale, you realize that's what saved Peeta and I, right? It was our only hope." I whispered after a minute of uncomfortable silence.

"Was it? Did you have to play the game that way Katniss? Why couldn't you just play the simple way? Don't trust your enemies Katniss-" I open my mouth to interject but he holds his hands up in protest. "Seventy Three Victors before you did it. If you didn't want to be the one to kill Peeta then why didn't you wait for someone else to? Cato practically gift wrapped him, all you had to do was leave him out there to die."

It was obvious this had been brewing in Gales mind for some time now, waiting for the exact moment to bubble until finally it spills over into a hot fiery mess.

"Do you hear yourself speaking?" I demand, my voice much too loud for us to be hunting, but then again, with both of our bows dropped to the forest floor, I assume we're done for the day. "Are you even registering your words? We both made it out alive, Victor history, Gale! This is a time for celebration…not…not wishing one of our own were dead!"

"Katniss-"

"I mean think about it, what if the games had been played that way from the start? A team effort, a given ally from the very beginning? Think of the lives it could have saved!"

"The Capitol didn't produce the games to save lives, Katniss! They created them to destroy them, to have a public reminder to the people of all districts annually, 'don't step out of line.'"

Of course he was right, but we were too far in argument to give him this small victory now. I dug my heels into the muddy bottom of the stream deeper, heaving out a breath.

"What was the point of all that love stuff anyways besides feeding into the capitol? Giving them exactly what they want, a good show."

"Sponsors, Gale," I sigh, out of fight. I had nothing left. I couldn't do this. Not today, not my first full day back in the home I never thought I'd see again.

"You didn't need him to get you sponsors Katniss…your skill was enough, after all you scored highest in training."

I smiled slightly. Even though I was well aware the games were a mandatory event, it still made me feel good to know he was…paying attention, to me; my scores, my tactics, my game. It was oddly flattering and I forced the thought away, surely this was just an observation.

"He did help me. He gave me something my bow and arrow simply couldn't."

He wore a wary and confused expression. He too, was out of fight and simply waited for me to continue on.

"He gave me appeal, Gale. He made me desirable to the crowd, to sponsors, to everyone really."

Gale snorted, and for a moment I was hurt. My fists clench at my sides with an effort not to simply walk away from him. Of course I hadn't meant everyone, for Gale would never view me in that light.

"You didn't need Peeta to make you appealing Katniss."

"Oh, what do you know?" I screech. "No one thought of me as anything more than threatening before the games, and even in the Capitol, I had nothing going for me besides the words Peeta painted me as. No one thought I was desirable Gale!"

"Yes they did!" he concluded, his voice overshadowing mine.

"Who? Tell me Gale, who!"

"Me!" he belts before turning on his heals, but not before shooting me one more disgusted look. "But that's right, I'm sorry I wasn't enough for you to notice."

"Gale!" I call out, but I know it's a lost effort. I picked up the few rabbits I kept for dinner tonight and put on my boots, taking a less direct route out of the forest, clearing my head of the boy who left me out here alone, and his confusing parting words.


I walked through the doors of our new home, still not used to the nice display of marble floors that met me, or the cushioning of the carpeting trailing up the stairs and through the hallways.

Mother met me at the door, her eyes wide as she watched me attempt to step in.

"Oh, no shoes Katniss!" she screeches, waving her hands around like a maniac. "I just mopped."

…she mopped. Huh, weird.

I slip my shoes off on the front porch then, and walk in to find she wasn't kidding, my sock clad feet slide easily along the slick surface. The house smells of pine and cleaning supplies, though I wasn't sure what she had been cleaning, seeing as we hadn't lived here more than twenty four hours.

I settle myself down in one of the chairs that met up with the kitchen table and turn myself around, throwing two small rabbits onto the table, to find Prim leaning over the sink, peeling potatoes.

"What are you doing?" I asked her, resting my head on my forearm. She turned with a stunning smile, holding a half peeled potato in her hand, and its then I realize they aren't just market potatoes, but Katniss's; and for some reason, this comforts me. This is normal. This is routine. I like routine.

Prim seems to sense my feelings because next thing I know; she's voicing them. "I figured you'd prefer something….familiar, rather than jumping into new things."

Prim looked older than her mere twelve years. Her long blonde hair, usually free and flowing is constricted back in a tight braid with small strands falling down her forehead. The way she focuses, looking toughly towards the stack of potatoes, and her bandaged fingers from what I assumed were mishaps with the peeler, reminds me of someone completely opposite of my little Prim.

Me. The thought of Prim turning into her older sister scares me more than most things would. This Prim was much different from the one I left a few weeks back before the games; small defenseless Prim was no more, she had taken my words seriously-staying alive at all costs from the moment of my absence. What can I say, habits are hard to break.

"Why all the potatoes and greens?" I ask, pulling out a long knife and beginning to dispose of the fur on the small creatures. They were always a lot smaller once all the fur was gone, disappointing, when you find trimming the layers of something seemingly porky, turns out small and feeble.

"We're having company for dinner tonight," Prim smiled. "Effie has to leave for the Capitol tomorrow morning and wont be back until your victory tour, so we invited her, Haymitch and Peeta over as sort of a…goodbye, type thing."

The thought of having to face Peeta and Haymitch tonight was scary, and I felt my palms grow sweaty as I throw the first rabbit into the oven. "Oh, well that was thoughtful. Effie must be glowing at the idea any of us are upset about releasing her back to the Capitol."

"I like Effie," says Prim with a smile. "She's funny."

I thought of the lady, rifling through a large bowl of names, her squeaky voice giggling with excitement as she pulls out 'Primrose Everdeen' as if she's won a million dollars, and shutter.

Yes, Effie turned out to be…a piece of work, someone I could stand and even like, but when it came down to it, she still worked for the capitol, we were just a part of their entertaining games, and that was something I couldn't quite forgive as easily as Prim.

By the time to sun begins to settle down gently, the sky turning a runny shade of orange and pink, Effie, Peeta, and Haymitch had all arrived and began settling in for what seemed to be a long stay.

Upon arriving, Peeta passed two loafs of bread over to my mother as a thank you, and a plate of white, unfrosted cookies, but I noticed in a plastic bag, was frosting and different nozzles. Mother thanked him immensely before disappearing into the kitchen to set the spoils on the table for later.

With empty hands, Peeta shoves his own into his pant pockets, slipping off his shoes. Haymitch hardly looked sober and I wondered if he had had the courtesy (or mindset) to try and keep himself as much in his right mind as possible for a dinner event.

I thought about our first night on the train, when Peeta and I were headed to the Capitol, and Haymitch lost his dinner all over the dining room compartment, the stench of his vomit pouring through our noses.

Most likely, he simply ran out of liquor for the time being.

Effie took to Prim instantly, and I couldn't help but think of Effie and Prim bonding on the way to the Capitol and the days leading to the games. How hard it might have been for Effie to send defenseless Prim into the arena, and watching her death publicly…

I winced, upset with myself for even thinking the thoughts. Prim was alive and well, unscarred and beautiful. I repeated this to myself five more times before my heart rate slowed.

Over dinner, there was laughter, at first awkward, as Effie began describing her initial thoughts of Peeta and I, but by the time she began describing Haymitch, she had all of us cackling along side her, tears even running down Prim's eyes as she held her arms tightly over her spasming belly.

Peeta and I both reach for the pepper at the same time, and our hands meet. I pull away immediately, letting him take the spice and watching from the corner of my eye as he subtly inched it over to me, a small smile playing on his features.

Leave it to Peeta, to completely forget the fact that I knocked him to the ground just earlier today, and smile over something as small as handing me pepper. I take it from him and dab it over my potatoes, like Effie instructs and finds the taste improves significantly. I don't admit it to Effie though.

When dinner is finished, I help mother clear dishes as everyone gathers in the living room for cookies and hot chocolate, to watch the replays of the recap of the games. They'll be playing these until next years Hunger Games, maybe longer, with this one making history of its own.

I walk into the kitchen, arms full of dishes to find Peeta standing over the wooden table with Prim in front of him, his arms wrapped around her own, guiding her to make a perfect pink boarder on the edges of her cookies. She giggles, slipping the sweet into her mouth with wide eyes.

"Its delicious!" she says appreciatively.

He smiles, rubbing her head. "And beautiful too, you're quite the decorator Prim, maybe sometime you can come and help me in the bakery."

As he finishes the last word of his sentence, his eyes look up to meet mine, and oddly, a red tint covers his cheeks. Prim slips from the kitchen a moment later, still lapping at the treat in her hand, leaving Peeta and me to ourselves.

I walk past him and place the dishes into the sink, scrubbing them with more of an effort than was needed.

I feel his gaze on the back of my head and tense. He hasn't left, but is getting closer until he appears at my side.

"I'm sorry," he whispers and my eyes turn wild with confusion. He's what? So many words I expected to pour from his lips and he tells me he's sorry. Now the guilt is really settling in for a long stay in the pit of my stomach.

"What for?" I ask, rubbing a plate with a spare rag. Mother doesn't understand, but I don't like the dishwasher. I'd rather wash them by hand, it was quicker for one, and it gave me something to keep busy with.

"I've been a bad friend," he begins, breathing lightly on my forehead. "I'm sorry that I took things to be more than they were in the arena…it just seemed like…" he pauses for a moment, his eyes shut before they flicker open and he shakes his head. "Never mind."

"Like what?" I press.

It doesn't take much to crack him and I have a feeling he's wanted to say it anyways. "Like for once…you were noticing me."

My heart thuds faster inside of my ribcage. He's right, I hadn't noticed him before the games except on rare occasions, but what he didn't know, was that he was the one who possessed my memory. Every time I saw a dandelion sprouting in the spring time, every time we passed his family's bakery…

"Peeta," I begin but he stops me before I can continue. "I didn't mean for this to turn into what it did Katniss, I just wanted to tell you I figured if I stopped acting so wounded and actually tried…we could be…friends?"

Friends. Friends sounded…

"It's just so hard…when one moment, we're hugging and kissing for cameras, but off cameras-" I treat you like a social pariah.

I think about his words carefully. Friends…friends. I chew on it for a moment. I don't have many friends, and besides Gale, Peeta is the person I trust the most, with my life even, since he saved it in the arena.

"I'm sorry too Peeta," I mumble without answering his 'friend' question. "Not just about this whole mess, but just….a lot. I should have let you know sooner how I felt…how I thought we were both just act-" I cut myself off, biting my lip as I watch his hurt expression in my eyelids.

Acting, was the word itching to be set free from my lips and I cant believe I hadn't been more careful. Unlike Gale, Peeta doesn't lash out or jump to conclusions, leaving me by myself confused and upset, what he does is much worse. His face obviously pained, stares down at the marble table top as if the words hadn't come from me.

"I'm sorry about your leg as well," I mumble lamely as an afterthought. It takes him a minute but then he just smiles towards me, running his hand questioningly along my cheek bone until my gaze meets his.

"Don't apologize to me, Katniss," he breathed. "There are many things in life you'll have to apologize for, please, save it for those moments, because its not worth it, wasting them on me."

"I think friends sounds like a good idea," I say in an unrelated response, turning from his gaze to put the last dish in its place. He nods gently, as if upset by my answer. Surely he had hoped for better success, but I was in no position to make anymore promises for a long time, to anyone.

"Come here," he says, his voice brighter than it had been moments earlier. I follow him to the table he had been standing at with Prim and he pulled a cookie off the platter, handing it to me. "Do you want to decorate it?" he asked.

I laughed, not that it was funny just, unexpected. "Sure…" I said slowly, picking up a tube of home made icing and gently placing it to the cookie. I'm not sure what I made, just different colored swirls and shapes. It was ugly at best.

I turned to Peeta and stared, wide eyed. He glanced up at me confused until he saw I was watching him ice his own cookie. He was marvelous at it, the bright yellow flower perfectly centered and so life like I could simply pluck it from the sweet. I knew Peeta iced the things in his families bakery, but for some reason when I thought of icing I figured it took much less skill than this.

"You're really good at that," I say to him and he smiles with pride. "Years of practice," he adds before silence falls between us, then he hands it over to me. "For you."

I take his offering, and stick mine out for him. "Its not nearly as pretty…" I feel the need to defend it. Its gone in four bites as he assures me it was beautiful.

"Katniss? Peeta? What are you two doing in there? You're missing everything!" Effie sounded from the other room, making us both jump.

"Yeah, they're awfully quiet in there," Haymitch voiced suspiciously, then chuckled humorlessly. "On the other hand, maybe we ought to leave them be…."

"Shut up Haymitch," Peeta grumbled under his breath, to which I snorted. He patted my back, inching me towards the living room after, "We're coming, we're coming."

We watched the recap in silence. I looked around the room more than I did the television, watching all the reactions I never got to see while Peeta and I were performing. Mom watched the screen with worry, even though she knew the outcome, it didn't stop her from clutching Prim's arm when danger neared me or Peeta, and gasping when someone laid freshly dead on the ground. Prim looked more intrigued than anything; as if she were watching a sporting game rather than these deadly ones. Mostly Peeta looked to his hands or shut his eyes, the memories most likely too painful for him to remember, I knew they were for me. Effie looked keenly amused, grinning and giving us dialogue on the entire event, voicing her favorite parts, times when she was on the edge of her seat, when she cried, when she laughed, how amused she was when Peeta claimed we missed her in the cave…

Haymitch looked like he needed a drink.

I might need one too.


I was relieved when Effie left the next morning, tears in her eyes as she promised not to cry, for she would be back in just a few months. She gave me and Peeta both a swift kiss goodbye before smiling slyly.

"Try and get along you too."

And then she was gone.

It was early morning, the miners in the seam were just beginning to prepare for a long days work and soon, children would be rising for school. Peeta and I walked down long paths, enjoying the sunny morning hatching in the clutches of darkness.

We passed by the quiet Victors Village, all the houses dark as everyone inside continued to sleep through the morning. It was then that I remembered, Haymitch hadn't said a word to me yesterday about disobeying him and going out with Gale. He hadn't forgotten I had gone, had he? No, he wasn't that drunk. Was he waiting until he could get me alone? That's a scary thought…

Note to self, don't allow yourself to be alone in a room with Haymitch for a while. Something struck me then….had Peeta told him where I was? He must have come looking for me at some point yesterday, and when I was gone, what did Peeta say?

"Did you tell Haymitch? About…what happened yesterday?"

Peeta shook his head quietly. "I didn't see any reason for that."

"He didn't ask?"

His head shook again and he kicked a small rock with his foot. He didn't seem to be walking with a limp or any discomfort, so my kick to his prosthetic leg must have not been too painful. Still…

"It wont happen again, like that I mean." I tell him in a soft whisper, anything above it seeming too loud for the easy morning. "I didn't mean to react that way…it was just…."

"I was out of line to force you to stay," he said. "I just didn't want you to get into trouble with Haymitch or anyone…but I shouldn't have held onto you like that."

He was right. Haymitch would have my head if he knew what I had done yesterday, especially with what we both know about the Capitol, how I'm already on the Presidents bad side with the berries. Everything was such a mess. How did things change so rapidly? Was it too late to pretend it never happened and just go back to the beginning? Yes. There's no more wishing for the past, but just hoping the future turns out brighter than its prognosis.

"Thank you," I mumble, taking his hand in my own. This takes him by surprise, but then he tightens his grip, as if my hand will vanish into thin air at any moment.

"Do you want some hot chocolate?" he asks me, making our way back towards his house. I nod, waiting on his front porch in the swing bench he has installed as he went inside to fetch some. For moments, I'm alone and even in the break of daylight, I'm scared.

What are you scared of? Cato? Thresh? They're dead Katniss, you killed them. I shutter at the thought and then realize what it is I'm truly scared of. Not Cato, or Clove or any of the others.

Its my distorted mind that is traumatizing me.

"Katniss?" Peeta asks, alarmed. "You're shaking, are you alright?"

I don't respond but instead, sink into his embrace, burring my head deep into his chest and clinging to his t shirt. He doesn't question it, but simply holds me closer to him, rubbing my hair and coaxing me gently, promising me I'm safe, that its over, the nightmare is over.

But the nightmares have only just begun.

I look up into his pained blue eyes and squeeze him tighter, regretting the next words out my mouth, yet at the same time feeling as if they're the only thing that can keep me from going under.

"Kiss me," I whisper. "Please?"

And of course, he obliges.


I know some of you must be annoyed by Katniss's mind games and mood swings, but I'm just playing up the fact that she was confused with her conflicting feelings, not sure of what she wants. Not to worry though; soon enough the fog clouding her mind will clear. Thanks again for reading, Please feel free to leave any thoughts or comments. I'm about half way through Chapter Four, it will be up before you can say: "Nightlock, Nightlock, Nightlock!" Happy Fathers Day everyone.

~SoYouThinkYouCanWrite