A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews, favorites and followers. Really appreciate it! This chapter is going to be in Gale's POV. Most chapters will be Katniss's POV but I'll toss in a few extra POVs as the story progresses.


Gale's POV - a couple years earlier...

Her eyes were narrowed in concentration and her tongue was sticking out slightly in the corner of her mouth.

"It needs to be a bit tighter, else it'll fall off 'fore it can hit anythin'," I tell her, I lean forward to help pull the string tighter, but she yanks the stick away from me.

"I've got it," She snapped back at me, "You work on the bow, 'stead of watchin' me."

I pick up the long stick that I had been whittling a notch in for the string to sit in. Katniss has an arrow head we had found in the creek bed yesterday, it was the best one we found yet, she was wrapping some string around the base of the arrowhead and tying it to a stick. She was doing it all wrong, but wouldn't let me fix it. When it falls apart on her, I'll fix it then.

I'm just starting to tie the string to the top of the bow, when Katniss looks up and looks over my shoulder.

"What?" I ask. Then I hear Rory, "Ga-alle!"

"Aw, shoot! I don't want him around… come on hurry, let's hide."

"Why?" Katniss asks, but gets up with me anyways, "He wants someone to play with also."

"He has Vick, come'on, hurry."

We quick gather what we can and run away from the sound of Rory's shouts.

I try to hold Katniss's elbow to stop her from falling, but she doesn't let me.

"Stop it, I can run on my own. You'll just trip me up."

"Then hurry up," I say, I see a clump of bushes close to a tree, "Come'on, behind them bushes."

We squeeze between the bushes and the tree.

I hear Rory get closer, still calling my name.

"Aw, Gale, Come on! Vick says you got a bow n arrow, I wanna play," Rory shouts. If I bend down farther I can see through a gap in the bushes, he looking around, then starts moving away.

Once he's a good distance away, Katniss elbows me in the stomach, "Get off and gemme some room here, Gale." I realize our positions, I had put my arm around her when we were first hiding behind the bush and I hadn't moved my arm yet. I quickly pull it away and stand up and offer her a hand. She stands up on her own and brushes the leaves off her brown dress.

As I watch her I am surprised as I realize how nice it was to have my arm around her, my arm feels almost… empty without her now.

I feel as if I'm seeing her for the first time, the running we had done had turned her cheeks a soft pink color, her jaw line was so delicate looking, some of her hair had fallen out of her braid and resting along her neck and shoulders. I reach over and pull out a twig that had lodged itself in her hair. She's still trying to fix her dress.

"Oh, drat," I heard her mutter, "I got a tear in my apron."

My eyes were still on her when she looked up, her silvery gray eyes met mine, I had never noticed how pretty her eyes were. I can vaguely hear her saying how her Mama was going to be upset about the tear.

"What?!" She snaps at me, and I blink a few times. She gives me an angry glare that somehow makes her eyes look even prettier or maybe just more interesting.

"I don't see why you wanted to hide from Rory, he's nice. I wish Prim liked to play outside."

"They're just too young."

"Rory's only a year younger than me," She points out.

"Well go play with them if that's what you want to do." I'm angry that she is sticking up for Rory, why would she want to hang out with a 9 year old kid. In my mind there is a big difference between her age and his.

"Why are you such a grump all the sudden?"

"Why do you want to play with Rory instead of me?"

She looks surprised, I'm a little surprised at myself too.

"I don't Gale… You're my best friend."

I give her a smile, I'm relieved to hear her say that. I take a step closer to her and reach out. She gives me a strange look, but doesn't move. I take her hand in mine. It lasts for a total of 2 seconds before she pulls her hand out of mine and gives me a push. For a girl, a 10 year old girl no less, she gives me quite a hard push and I stumble backwards and trip over a branch and fall on my rear.

"What was that for?!"

"Why'd you hold my hand?!"

I get up, feeling like a total klutz. I brush my pants off and look up at her, she standing with her hands on her hips and giving me a glare that would probably scare most other people, but I can't help smile, which infuriates her more. Her steps are quick as she approaches me and she gives me another shove, this time I keep my balance.

"Don't do that again."

Instead of answering her I pick up the half-finished bow, "Come on, if we get these done we can try it out today."

When the bow and arrow is finished, the string has no "twang" and the arrow does little more than fall to the ground. Katniss looks completely crest-fallen at the failed attempt.

I hear Mama banging on the rain barrel, that's the sign that it's time to go home for dinner.

I look over at Katniss, after hearing my Mama, she knew that it was time for her to head home also. We start walking towards our houses.

"I'll try to work on the bow some more, maybe see if Papa can look at it," I tell her, trying to cheer her up.

Her expression is sour and she tells me, "Mama said I had to help with the sewing after dinner."

"I've gotta help Papa afterwards."

"At least you've got interestin' work. Mama won't let me help in the fields much, says that's men's work."

"It is," I said and puffed up my chest, "You have to be strong to work in the fields. You could get hurt."

She scowled at me, "Don't go acting all high n mighty. I am strong."

"You've gotta learn to do girl stuff so you can be a good wife."

"I ain't gonna be a wife."

I felt my chest that had been puffed up deflate, "Sure you are." Sure she was, what else was she gonna do?

"I don't wanna husband to boss me around." She picks up a stick and takes a whack at a clump of tall grass, "When I get older maybe Papa will let me start working in the fields, then I'll have my own farm."

I laughed, "You can't have your own farm."

By this time we've reached the ridge that overlooks the Everdeen farm. She sends another scowl my way, because she knows I'm right.

"See you tomorrow?" I ask.

She doesn't answer, she holds her head up high and starts running down towards her home. I watch her for a moment, her dark braid bounces on her back as she runs, the noon day sun glowing down on her as she runs through the grass and in between the corn fields.

Blinking a few times to bring myself out of my thoughts, I turn and take a slow run east towards my home.

After a quick dinner (and a quick scolding from Mama, for not letting Rory play with us), Papa and I head out to the fields, as we work I tell Papa about the bow and arrow. Papa suggested using a different type of string. Then the conversation switched over to Katniss, I told him how she wanted to work in the fields.

"I reckon I'm gonna marry her."

"Oh?" He asks, I can hear a slight humor in his voice, "Does she know?"

"Not yet," I pause for a moment, "She said she doesn't want to get married, but she has to don't she?"

Papa chuckled a little and said, "I reckon you both got time to think about it."

"I don't need to think about it anymore. I've decided. I decided just today."

"Alright, son. I'd give it some time before you ask Mr. Everdeen, he won't likely want you takin' his little girl."

I bent my head down and worked some more. Mr. Everdeen always seemed so nice; would he get mad if I did marry her? How long do I have until I can ask him?

"Course, I'll wanna be a grown man before I get married. You married Mama when you were 22, I reckon I could wait till I'm around that age. Catnip'll be older too then, and then Mr. Everdeen can't be too mad."

Papa doesn't answer me.

"Am I gonna take over the farm for you when I'm grown?"

"Well, son, I reckon that even when you're grown I'll still be up and kickin'," He looked over and gave me a grin, "But when the Lord tells me it's time to put my plow down, I'll be splitting the farm up with you and your brothers."

That's fair. We've got 240 acres. That'd be 80 acres a piece.

"What will Mr. Everdeen do?" I ask, with just Katniss and Prim and no boys, he'd have no one to leave his farm to, "Do you reckon he'll let Catnip and I have it?"

Papa stopped working and looked up at me, "Well, son, Mr. Everdeen and I haven't talked about what he plans to leave his girls when the Lord takes him… I think it's time to stop dreamin about the future and uncertainties, and start focusin' on the job at hand."

We both went back to work. I stopped talking about it, but I didn't stop thinking about it.

A new church was built up after harvest time, it was just down the ways from the new general store and the saw mill. The general store was owned by a Mr. Mellark, they said that the railroad was going to be coming through in the next few years. Mama was relieved that Papa wouldn't have to go the 25 miles to Nebraska Town any more.

Papa took me with him to the store shortly after it opened. Mr. Mellark was a kind man, he had three sons himself. They were off fishing when we were there, but I met them when the church was raised. Everyone came in from their farms to help put the finishing touches on it. The ladies all brought food to share and a few boards were borrowed from the saw mill to make a table to hold it.

Katniss wore a new red dress and her hair was shiny and neatly braided down her back. Usually she was in her brown dress and her hair was messed. I didn't know if I liked this neat and tidy looking Katniss.

Mr. Everdeen started singing as the last nail was hammered in, Katniss joined right in with her sweet and steady voice, that was why Mr. Everdeen always called her his little bird, she sang just as pretty as any bird I had ever heard. Everyone else started singing too. Then there was talking and laughter as the food was dished up. I saw Katniss standing with her little tin plate and she was talkin' to one of the Mellark boys. I quickly stepped over towards them.

"I'm Katniss Everdeen," She was saying, "We have a farm a mile over the hill," She nodded to the west.

"I'm Peeta, Peeta Mellark. We have the general store here, just moved here a couple of months ago."

"I know, Papa told me."

"Do you ever come in with him?"

I step up next to Katniss, "Come on, Catnip. Your folks are settlin' in over there." Mrs. Everdeen was already sitting on the cloth she had laid down and Prim was next to her already eating the food from her plate. I reached over to take her plate for her but she swatted my hand away.

"I carry my own plate, Gale. I'm not a baby. And don't be rude, this is Mr. Mellark's son, Peeta."

I look over at him, the boy holds out his hand for me. I give it a firm shake, but don't say anything.

Katniss rolls her eyes, "This is Gale Hawthorne."

"Nice to meet you. That's my brothers Charlie and Ed over there with my Pa," Peeta said, nodding towards two boys talking to Mr. Mellark. Then he looks back at Katniss… I don't like that look in his eye.

"I have a sister, Primrose," Katniss said, "Would you like to come and meet her?"

I have to put a stop to this. I need to get this boy away from my Catnip. He needs to stop looking at her. I can't think of anything to do and I hear Peeta say, "Sure."

I trail behind them, feeling rather miserable, as they walk over to where Mrs. Everdeen and Prim sit. Katniss introduces them. Peeta seems nice, almost too nice. He has Prim giggling over something he said as Katniss sits down next to her.

Peeta excuses himself (finally!) and walks away.

Katniss looks at me, "You could've been a little nicer, Gale."

"Why?" I ask gruffly.

"It'll be nice to have other kids around to play with. He seems nice."

"I don't want other kids around." I wouldn't really mind having other boys around, just not ones that look at my Catnip like that Mellark boy was looking at her.

I huff a little as I sit down.

"Aren't you going to get any food?" Prim asks.

I have to stand back up, awkwardly and walk back over to the food, keeping my distance from Peeta.

Katniss must be annoyed with me, because after eating, she ignores me and goes over with Lillian Leevy and Annie Cresta. Katniss usually doesn't like to spend time with them, says they act too much like girls.

Though she doesn't want me around, I still keep an eye on her, and I noticed that I wasn't the only one watching. Young Mellark seemed to always be near and when a game of chain tag started, it was only after Katniss agreed to play that he asked to join, which prompted me to join the game also.

The chain of people got longer and longer, only a few kids were left, including myself and Katniss, along with the younger two Mellark boys and some other boys. I could almost read his mind that he was waiting for her to get caught to get caught himself, then he'd get to hold her hand. She was completely oblivious to the fact that he was always within a few yards of her, ready to be caught "accidentally" once she was. But Katniss wasn't about to be caught so easily, she was just as fast and quick on her feet as any boy, but she finally was caught. I saw Peeta edging closer to the chain, hoping to be caught, I had to get tagged before him. Hoping that she wouldn't really notice that I hadn't been tagged I grasped on to Katniss's hand, she looked up at me surprised but then Peeta was right there, unable to stop myself, I reached out and gave him a shove. As he fell back he bumped into Albert Thresh, in a mess of flying arms as they fell, Thresh's elbow jerked back and hit Mellark's nose. I held back a snort of laughter. Then I heard Katniss cry out, along with the other girls, fretting over Mellark's bleeding nose.

"Is it broken?" I heard her ask.

"No, no it's fine," He said, his face was bright red, "It'll stop bleeding in a bit."

"My Mama's good at fixing people up, do you want me to go get her?"

"Leave him alone, Katniss. He says he's fine," I said, annoyed that she was fussing over him so much. She didn't know him, they had only just met.

Mellark glared up at me, for a merchants son I was a little surprised at how hard of a glare he had. He probably would have said or done something if Katniss hadn't suddenly pushed me.

"This was your fault, you're the one that fell into him," She said. Since "fell into" was better than her knowing that I had pushed him I didn't defend myself, I didn't offer an apology to Mellark either.