Hello fellow Hungergamers :D How's the story goin'? Do you like how it's turned out? Do you have any ideas of anything I should add? Any escape plans? Let me know in the reviews (: Then again, you don't have to, and you can just keep on readin' :D ANYWHO, I present you with…..Chapter 5!

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Hunger Games, or Suzanne Collins, because if I did, that would be illegal. And I don't feel like going to jail (:

Chapter 5

Katniss's Point of View

I gritted my teeth, clenched my fists so tightly that I could feel the sting of my nails against my palm. It felt like I'd been in this room for weeks already, tortured by the ghosts of my past for hours on end. But for all I knew, it could have taken place in one of those gaping seconds, one single tick of the clock stretched to eternity by the horrors it contained.

Because time had no meaning, reality had no meaning, sanity had no meaning. And when everything else has been taken away, you have no meaning. You simply don't exist.

I burrowed down deeper into my sub consciousness, knowing this was the only way to get away from this horrible world. I learned to block out Gale's voice, and Prim's voice, and everyone else's. Everything ceased to exist, except me and my thoughts, thinking about everything, and at the same time, thinking about nothing. I just stayed curled in a ball, waiting for it all to end.

Gale's Point of View

Finally, after what seemed like hours, they brought her back in. She was curled up in a ball, and the Peacekeeper who was carrying her was looking at her in disgust. He brought Katniss over to the couch and dumped her there, none to gently. I glared at him, watching suspiciously as he exited the room and slammed the door shut, then scooted over next to her. I brushed her hair from her face gently. It was still wet from her tears, and I knew that what she had just gone through must have been horrible.

As I watched her, I realized that my feelings for her had grown beyond that of a friend. I had always loved her in a friendly, protective way, but now, that love was growing, and it wasn't enough just to be her friend. I wanted to be someone she could always rely on, and learn to maybe love someday. Because, I loved her. And I couldn't stand it if someone hurt her in front of me. Or next door to me.

I tried resisting the little voice in my mind telling me to kiss her. But of course, that little voice grew to overcome the rest of my thoughts and suddenly that's all I wanted to do. Kiss her, everywhere. Kiss her, and take her pain away, until it was gone. Kiss away her tearstained face, and bring a smile to it. My resolve broke and I leaned down, and pressed my lips against hers, hoping against hope that she wouldn't wake up. They were so soft, and tasted so amazing; it took all my efforts just to pull away.

I whispered into her ear, "I had to do that, at least once." Katniss stirred and looked at me, her eyes filling with tears again. I hugged her, bringing her closer. She buried her head in my chest and sobbed. I knew that having to hear our voices crying out to her for help must have been horrible, and this proved it. I glared out into empty space, and whispered "I am going to kill whoever did this to her," and layed my head on her shoulder.

"Gale..don't. It's okay," she said quietly after she had finished crying. I look at her in mock surprise. "You're supposed to be asleep, Catnip." She mumbles something and pulls away, looking at me. "Did you kiss me?" she asks.

I turn away, blushing. "Maybe…" Katniss grabs my arm, making me face her again. "Why? Do you really…like me that way?" she responds. "I love you, Catnip," I say. I just had to, the intensity of her gaze, her soft, sweet lips, the way her hands were on my arm, it all lead up to those 4 words.

"I love you too, Gale," she blurts out, then smacks her hands onto her mouth. I gaze at her. She had definitely NOT said that. She couldn't. She only liked me in a friendly way, she was in love with Peeta!

"No you don't, you love Peeta," I said sadly.

"Gale, I-my love for him...i think its gone. I know he doesn't deserve this, but..i can't love him anymore. He's gone, and i just have to get over that, no matter how hard it'll be. I realized that, and i learned that i had to let go. Let go of him, of my love for him," Katniss said, looking down, "My love for him has faded. I don't think I'm capable of loving him anymore. I tilt her chin up with one finger, unable to believe it, and said, "Prove it." She looks at me for what seemed a long time, but was only a matter of seconds, and then pushes her lips to mine and kisses me.

I close my eyes and lean into the kiss, and wrap my arms around her. She felt so fragile, like she could break at any given moment. Even now, her face was wet. I pull away and wipe her face with my fingers, and hug her again. She curled up against my chest. I couldn't believe that we'd spent this much time apart, without knowing that the other loved them.

Katniss's Point of View

I was trying as hard as I could to not think about what had happened in the black room. That was what I had learned to call that torture room. The black room. A fitting name for it, if you think about it. Completely dark. Only one good thing came of it: I learned that I loved Gale. And now, he was holding me so tenderly, it almost made up for my time in that room.

I curled up closer to him, happy to be there. "Are you all right?" asked Gale. I'm suddenly overcome by images of all the people I saw in there, and pull away jerkily. "I'm fine," I tell him. He looks at me reproachfully.

"Don't even try to lie to me, Catnip. What's wrong?" He said.

I sigh and said, "I just can't stop thinking about Rue, and Prim, and Finnick, all those deaths...my fault. IT'S ALL MY FAULT!" I yelled and run over to the wall, punching it angrily. "I'm the reason they died, I didn't protect Prim hard enough, I left Rue alone, Finnick died protecting me, this was all because of me! Not to talk about Boggs and Peeta, and everyone else that died protecting me, died to keep me alive. I don't deserve to even be alive!" I kicked the wall, ignoring Gale's hands as they try to stop me. He pulls me away and I collapse on the ground, not sobbing, not crying, just staring at one place. I pull my knees to my chest, wishing that I was back home in District 12.

"Hey, Katniss, it's okay. It isn't your fault, they did it willingly. Did you force them to die? No. They can think for their own, and they did. It's their fault that they got killed." Gale said.

See, that's what I love about him. He was blunt and told me the truth, and didn't care if it hurt. He never lied to me, and I to him. I hugged my knees, ignoring his comforting hand. I'm sure that he wanted to help, but I was in no mood to be comforted.

"How are we going to get out of here…" I said, morosely. I got no answer from Gale, and I looked up. I saw that our door had been opened, and Karina had stepped in.

"Oh hell", I thought, "Her again."