AN: Sooooo I have all of this hits on this story yet no reviews, its sort of depressing and makes me wonder if my story is even worth reading. So if you like it please leave a review, even if it is a single word, I would appreciate it.

I had walked home in silence trying my best to clear everything from my head. Gale wasn't interested in talking to me and of course Rory and Prim were nothing but giggles and smiles. Vaguely I remember Rory mention Vick was staying with a friend.

Prim and I entered the threshold of our small three room house and I instantly narrowed my eyes seeing none other than Haymitch Abernathy sitting at the small dining room table with my mother. "Ah, they are here" he smiles charmingly to my mother.

I glare even harder at the man who had the same blonde hair and blue eyes as the town people, as my mother and sister. He was a stranger yet he fit in better than me in my home. He was wearing a very expensive looking grey suit and his long hair was neatly resting on his head. "Girls, Mister Abernathy is here on behalf of the capitol to tell me of some changes that will be going on in the near future." My mother smiles warmly towards the tall lean man who turns his attention to us.

"Please, girls have a seat." He motions for us to fill the two empty chairs around the circular table. I am suddenly filled with rage, who is this man to feel so comfortable in MY home.

"I'm fine with standing." I say icily as Prim takes a seat next to our mother at the table. "Of course Katniss," he articulates matching my stare. I raise an eyebrow as if giving him permission to explain his being in my home, instead of that bastard speaking my mother speaks.

"Well now that things have finally settled in the capitol and the government feels comfortable with investing money to the districts, they have begun a funding program to help the districts become what they should have been." She says in a clipped tone letting me know that my behavior in front of a government official is completely unacceptable.

"The investment begins with the neediest districts; eleven and twelve and then after that they will continue down the line to the less needy ones like one and two." Haymitch picks up where my mom left off, "They have placed me in charge of the money to be distributed as I see fit to help the people of district 12 become prosperous and of course profitable."

"Investment," I question not understanding why he chose to use that word. His eyes flash in humor, "Yes, once things pick up part of the income will go back to the capitol as expense money to ship goods to and from one district to another."

"So the capitol plans on letting the districts trade between each other?"

He nods, "Yes, ideally the capitol would like to see a bit of each district separated throughout the others."

I frown, "So basically we will be free to trade and travel so that the capitol no longer has to deal with the hassle of dividing the goods as fairly or unfairly as before except we are now PAYING them part of our income to do so?" I shake my head, "Where is the real benefit in that?"

"They are guaranteeing that any person in Panem who wants employment or goods can get it, no matter what or where it is." He tells me softly and instantly I think of all the poor seam children who have had no choice but to become miners, and the town children who HAD to take over their families business no matter how privileged I had thought they were they still were slaves to circumstance.

"So how does this affect us?" I ask and I notice my mother perks up, "Well Haymitch is going around to the people here in district twelve and finding out what exactly they would like their part of the money to go to, and we've decided that we are going to open my parents Apothecary again and I will also act as an assistant to the Physician the capitol will be sending each district."

I process this information; district twelve had no doctor other than my mother who couldn't do much with the limited resources that she had. If she had the capitol funding her then she could save some of the poor boys who have been injured in the mines.

"Also beginning next month, all the children of high school age will be taking a two-week long trip to each district where they will learn about the specialties of that district and the different possibilities of careers in those districts."

I left the house shortly after that apparently there was a meeting in the square tonight where the information would be told in much more detail, and what was once tessera; an assistance program that we had to sign up for, now was monthly supplies for each family of district twelve, to keep us alive and strong until we became 'prosperous and profitable'

There was no need for me to be there since I already knew what would be expected of my family. I suppose I had to get a job and become an everyday consumer of the capitol. I scoffed at the thought and looked out into the distance where I see Gale sitting on the steps of his front porch.

He is wearing stained white long sleeve shirt and his dark pants also had some dirt on them as did his boots, as I came closer I noted to myself that he was sweaty and his dark hair matted to his forehead. He leaned back on the top of the four stairs and his shirt only had buttons halfway down his chest and they were all undone.

I felt a blush creep on my face as I examined the sweaty silken skin beneath his shirt. My grey eyes met his and he smirked, "Have a seat Catnip"

I obeyed his command and sat down next to him, "been cutting trees" I observe dumbly noting the large pile of firewood stacked perfectly beside the porch.

"You're still in your school dress." He tells me moving his hand to touch the cotton material of my yellow dress. "Yellow looks so good with your olive skin" He voices to me, and then pulls his hand back quickly. "Which can only mean that Haymitch was at your house," I nod my head; my voice seems to have left me the minute he placed his hand on the skirt of my dress. I clear my throat forcing myself to have the courage to speak to my best friend, "What did he offer your mom?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "My mother only does laundry for a living, and even so I have to pull most of the weight so there is no real incentive that he can give her other than monetary." I glance at him out of the corner of my eye, "Your mother is an extremely intelligent woman who can adapt to any given situation. She will come up with something." I pause for a moment and then I turn to look at him fully, "So what exactly are your plans now?"

I know he never wanted to go in the mines, he just assumed that's where he would end up just like the rest of the children of the seam. His grey eyes looked at me with such strong emotion that I wanted to break the connection but I was afraid to, "Wherever you are Catnip, that's where I'll be."

I break the eye contact, and glance out at the children of the seam the older ones are doing miscellaneous things to aid their parents while the younger ones play with one another.

"If everything goes according to what Haymitch says then there will be no need for me to support my family, Mom will be able to do that on her own, and we will never have to worry about food or necessities." I pause looking away from the children back to Gale, "and the children from the seam may have a small opportunity to get out and become something amazing instead of just dying in a mine."

His grey eyes meet mine and he takes my hand in his and smiles, "We could finally be free Katniss."

Gale and I use to talk all the time about leaving district twelve, and going somewhere that wouldn't require us to miss our youth and take on responsibility that wasn't ours to begin with. I purse my lips, "Well we do get to travel to the other districts next month. Maybe we will find a place we like and go there after we graduate."

It will have to be after I graduate, it would take at least two years for things to get comfortable with my family and their finances and two years was the allotted time frame for district twelve to rebuild. Two years and my best friend and I could see the world together.

Gale and I head towards the town square to listen to Mayor Undersee and Haymitch blabber on about the new changes more in detail. Gale and I both are in the same clothes not bothering to change, we were only going to stay long enough for the Peacekeepers to know we were here, and then leave.

I line up with the rest of the kids my age and wait in line to sign in glancing around at all the other people in the square; most were happily discussing the new changes.

Then my eyes land on Peeta who was quickly making his way towards me. I allow a small smile to him once he arrives beside me.

"Hey"

"Hi" I reply softly thinking about our lunch meeting and how I bolted away from him. "Some crowd huh; I'm surprised by the turnout." He observes the groups and groups of people.

"Well what would you expect at the promise of free money" I offer trying to keep the conversation flowing with the bakers son.

He grins at me, flashing his white teeth "Just the way to catch district twelve's attention." He pauses and the smile falls off from his face and his blue eyes move from the crowd behind me to meet my grey ones. "I have a serious question for you" he glances behind me again before saying "Is there something going on with you and Gale?"

I am lost for a second and I know I have a confused look on my face so I glance behind me to see that Gale was standing with his family staring at Peeta and me looking like a bull about to charge. I turn back to Peeta "Gale is my absolute best friend, that's all it has been and all it ever will be." I think, I mean I've never thought of Gale that way and I'm sure I'm just like an annoying little sister to him.

I watch the emotions wash over Peeta's face; I usually try my best to mask my emotions where he is willing to let me see everything he is thinking and feeling. Before I have an opportunity to ask him why he was questioning it, it was my turn to sign in and I walk away from Peeta to find a place in the crowd close to an exit so I can make a quiet get away.

"What did Mellark want?" his voice sounds strained, what was his deal with Peeta? He has never acted this way before. Maybe his is pulling the overprotective brother act on me since he senses that there is something more to Peeta and I… and he's right I owe Peeta my life.

"Just making small talk" I reply not bothering to turn around to look at him, I keep searching for my goal and finally I see the perfect spot; it leads to the back alley of the town shops. I can make my getaway quietly and it's dark minus a few porch lights.

"Mmm I bet."

Based on his tone alone I whip around to stare him in the eyes, "What does that mean?"

"It means Mellark has paid extra close attention to you lately and I don't trust him." I roll my eyes at him, "Gale this big brother act is cute and all but you are making yourself look like an asshole. You need to cut it out." I say the last part slowly and narrow my eyes.

"So you don't even care that he has taken a sudden interest in you for no damn reason"

"It's not even like that Gale, Peeta is a genuine person who is kind and has no ill words towards anyone; just like Madge! You would realize that if you would stop hating people for being born into a different circumstance from ours." Luckily at that moment the Mayor begins speaking to district twelve leaving Gale with no time to argue with me.

I give him a final glare and then storm away from him to my escape path I had planned out knowing he won't come after me. I hover at the edge of the crowd and wait for the perfect moment to slip out; I don't even pay attention to what they say on the stage. My eyes scan over the people of district twelve; I see Gale went to stand with his family, Mother and Prim were standing near the Hawthorne family as well, Madge was in the front row with her mother, and then lastly my eyes lock with his blue ones.

He isn't with his family; he is standing by himself watching my every move a knowing look on his face. I flush realizing he knew that I planned on leaving the square and in a moment of temporary insanity I motion for him to follow me down the dark alley, I don't bother to look back because I know that he will come.