Author's note- FYI- Fair warning, so no one is confused...For the rest of the story, I am altering the way the reaping and the next Hunger Games happened, to my own fictionalized version, not following the way books 2 and 3 went. Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive in reading and reviewing. I hope you like it.

-belladonnablush

Reaping Day dawned just as hot as blazes. It was one of those days that the heat felt stifling, oppressive.

How appropriate, thought Katniss. Just like the government. Stifling, oppressive, able to make you feel like you can't breathe.

Just like how she felt today. Peeta was trying to be extra supportive, knowing that she would need it, but even that wasn't helping. She knew that as victors from last year, she and Peeta would be safe because they were no longer eligible to compete, but that felt like a very small consolation. She didn't want any part of the reaping, but she had to. She and Peeta would be forced to watch as the new tributes were chosen, and then to introduce themselves as the mentors that would help train them to try and survive the Hunger Games. Katniss suddenly had a new respect for Haymitch, going through this process year after year, and then watching the district 12 tributes come home in body bags.

Her nightmares had come back in full force in the last few nights, and Peeta was very upset that all the work he had put into making her feel safe was slipping away, thanks to the reaping coming around again.

The two of them made their way through the crowd of people towards the stage. They were to be positioned right at the front, so the television cameras could get shots of them as the new tributes were selected. They took their places, as the reaping was about to begin.

They saw Effie walk out on the stage and welcome everyone to the reaping. On the large television screen, a brief movie showed about the history of the games and the reaping. Then at the end, there was a close up shot of President Snow, reminding everyone that this was a very special year, a quarter quell, and that the reaping would be done slightly differently in honor of the occasion.

Katniss hated how they made it sound like such a great thing, like they should be cheering and celebrating.

President Snow made the announcement that this year, instead of a random drawing of all the eligible young men and women, that it would be extra special. The President announced that he himself, along with the game making committee, had studied all the eligible participants, and that they had hand selected the two best qualified tributes from each district who would have the distinct honor of competing in the quarter quell and representing their district with pride.

The peacekeepers brought out the two large glass balls that always held all the names of the possible tributes, but this year instead of being full of thousands of slips of paper, each ball only held one envelope... one pink and one blue.

Katniss didn't like this. She wasn't sure if it was the hot weather or the reaping or both, but she suddenly felt sick to her stomach.

Effie announced, "Ladies first!"

She pulled out the pink envelope and opened it.

For a split second, Effie looked ill too, before she cleared her throat and announced the name:

"Primrose Everdeen".

Katniss felt her knees go weak and her vision went spotty. She felt Peeta's strong arm around her waist, supporting her. She knew that all the TV cameras were probably on her right now, wanting to see her reaction to her sister's name being drawn. This year, Katniss couldn't volunteer for her because she was ineligible, as a past victor. She took a deep breath, and fought hard against the waves of nausea and anger and despair that were flooding her body. Thank God she had Peeta holding her up right now, because she wasn't sure how she would have gotten through this moment alone.

She saw Prim bravely walk up to the stage. Katniss was suddenly so dizzy that she felt like everything was spinning. Peeta grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Well," said Effie. "Now for the boys, shall we?"

She picked out the blue envelope and opened it.

"Gale Hawthorne."

With that, Katniss felt the world go black as she fainted and crumpled to the ground.

When she came to, Peeta had her cradled in his arms, waving his hand to fan cool air into her face.

"Katniss? Honey, can you hear me?"

She slowly opened her eyes, and at first was comforted and relieved at the sight of Peeta's eyes staring at her, like she was safely at home in her bed and had just woken from a nightmare. But then the nauseous feeling flooded back when she realized to her horror that she was still at the reaping, and remembered that Prim and Gale had just been selected.

"No! No, Peeta, they can't do that!" she cried. "Please don't let them do that!" she wailed to him, as she clung to him for dear life.

Peeta felt helpless. All he could do was hold her and tell her to be quiet. He held her as close as he could, rocking her in his arms, as they sat there on the ground together. If she made a scene, it would surely only make things worse for Prim and Gale. He was trying to be strong and calm for Katniss, but inside, he was seething with anger. He should have seen this coming.

He knew that right this moment, back in the glamorous capitol, President Snow was sitting in his plush office in his mansion, watching this whole spectacle on live television, and was probably immensely pleased and proud of himself for the pain and punishment he had just been able to deliver upon on Katniss in one simple move.

Peeta wondered if there would ever come a day when the President would stop punishing her for her suggestion about the nightlock berries that ended up saving both their lives last year. When would enough ever be enough? When everyone she cared about was dead? When there was nothing left for her to suffer? Peeta figured that he, too, would most likely be targeted for death someday, once the President found out that they were no longer just "playing" the star-crossed lovers, that they really had fallen very much in love.

Once he discovers that his forced engagement has backfired, and that we really are engaged by our own choice, then we will probably both be dead. Peeta thought with a shudder.

He took a deep breath. Now was not the time to think like that. He needed to be there for Katniss and help her get through this.

"Come on Katniss," Peeta said gently. "We have to get up now. You need to be strong for Prim."

She didn't know how, but she somehow gathered up the strength to stand up with Peeta's help.

She forced herself to look up at the stage, where both Prim and Gale were standing silently.

How were she and Peeta supposed to mentor them? She didn't know how she would be able to prepare Prim for what she was about to face. And Peeta and Gale didn't even like each other. How were they supposed to work together?

It was a total nightmare, no matter how she looked at it. These two people on the stage, whom she loved so much... at least one, if not both of them, would be dead soon. It was almost too much pain for her to bear.

When the new tributes were allowed time to see their family members, Kaniss rushed into Prim and hugged her fiercely.

"Oh, Prim, I'm so sorry, this is all my fault!" Katniss cried to her sister. "I wish I could change this!"

"It's okay, Katniss, it's not your fault." Prim replied. "I'll be alright. I have you to teach me!"

"I don't know how to teach you everything you need to know! I can't protect you... I can't keep you alive from outside the arena!" Katniss lamented. She didn't even know where to start teaching Prim, and she wished that she didn't have to. She didn't want to teach Prim how to be a killer. She liked her the way she was... gentle, quiet, thoughtful.

Prim looked up at her big sister. "I watched you survive. I already learned a lot from you. And besides, Gale will help me, right?"

How had Prim matured so much in a year? Katniss wondered. She instinctively knew that Prim was right about Gale...she was sure that he would help Prim as much as he could, but when it came down to it, the game was still every man for himself. Katniss knew that never, ever again would there be a year with two winners. President Snow would rather kill both remaining tributes and have no winner, than ever let two tributes win again. She and Peeta were the first, last, only time that would be tolerated.

After Gale finished saying goodbye to his family, he was sitting in the locked room alone. Peeta decided that this might be as good a time as any to get the uncomfortable first meeting out of the way.

He knocked and then entered the room where Gale was sitting hunched over with his elbows resting on his knees. When he saw Peeta enter, he straightened his back and sat up.

"Hello Peeta," Gale said, not very enthusiastically. "I didn't expect to see you so soon. In a hurry to send me off to the slaughter already?"

"Gale." Peeta replied, ignoring his comment. "I figured we might as well start talking now, since we are going to have to work together for the next couple of weeks."

"So let me get this straight... you are going to teach me everything you know about survival?" Gale asked with a smirk. Gale found this rather amusing, since he already was far more knowledgeable about keeping himself alive under difficult conditions than Peeta ever would be, victor or not. And he assumed that he could probably kick Peeta's ass any day of the week, if he wanted to.

Peeta sighed. "Listen Gale, I'm not stupid. I know that you already have extensive knowledge about how to survive and how to hunt, which is fortunate for you. It will serve you well. What I can do for you is share how the game works... how to appeal to your sponsors, which will help keep you alive longer. You're going to have to make yourself likeable to the audience."

"None of it matters, Peeta. None of it." Gale said.

Peeta was exasperated at how difficult Gale could be sometimes. He was trying to help him, and he seemed to not take any of this seriously.

"What are you talking about Gale? It all matters, if you want to come back here alive!"

"I don't." Gale said, staring Peeta down with a steely gaze.

"What?" Peeta asked, totally confused. "What are you-"

Gale interrupted him. "I'm not coming back, Peeta. I already decided the minute my name got called. Well, when it got called after Prim's."

There was a silent pause between them, before Peeta finally asked, "You're not even going to try?"

Gale continued. "What I am about to tell you is between you and me only. Not Katniss. Understand? I'm trusting you, as my mentor."

Peeta swallowed dryly. "Okay... go on."

"I have no intention of winning the game. What I am going to do is give Katniss the only thing I have left to give her. I am going to bring her sister back to her."

"You can't guarantee that." said Peeta softly.

"No," Gale agreed, "I can't guarantee it. But I will fight with every drop of blood in my body to protect Prim, to make sure she is safe and fed and that she makes it to the end. I can hunt, and I can kill the others."

"Even if your plan works, what about if you two are the last survivors?" Peeta asked. "What are you going to do then? They are never going to allow two winners again, I can promise you that."

"I will have Prim kill me." he said, dead serious.

"Gale, Prim is not going to kill you. You know that! You are her sister's best friend. She would feel like she was betraying Katniss."

"I'm not worried. There are a thousand ways to die. I will find a way to poison myself, or 'accidentally' fall on my knife, slit my wrists, whatever it takes."

Peeta just stared at him in silence, as it gradually sunk in that Gale was really serious, that he intended to do this.

"Why Gale?" Peeta asked, barely audible.

"Because either way, Katniss is going to lose one of us. She doesn't need me anymore, she has you. You're her best friend now Peeta, and I accept that." Gale actually managed to say it sincerely, without any hint of bitterness, even though it hurt like hell to admit it, and the words tasted sour on his tongue.

Peeta suddenly felt a surge of sympathy for Gale, as well as a great deal of new found respect.

Gale continued. "But Prim is her only sister. She can't be replaced. You and I both know that Katniss won't handle it well if Prim dies."

"Yes. She would be devastated." Peeta agreed. "But she will be if it's you, too!"

"Not as much." Gale answered. "She needs her flesh and blood more than she needs me. I am going to do this with or without your help, Peeta. But I will have a better chance of bringing Prim home if you help me."

"How?" Peeta asked.

"Well, I guess I will have to let you mentor me after all. Just teach me what I need to know to get to the end. We will play the charade that I am fighting to win, but my idea of winning will be getting Prim home safe and sound. That son of a bitch Snow has already taken enough from Katniss. I'm not going to let him take her sister too."

Peeta was truly astounded. He realized that Gale must really love Katniss a lot to be willing to sacrifice himself to save her sister.

After a long pause, Peeta finally said, "Okay, Gale. I will help you however I can. And thank you... for caring about Katniss."

Gale nodded.

Peeta reached out his hand to Gale, and Gale shook it in agreement.

"Let the games begin, Mentor." Gale replied.

Peeta hated that he would have to keep this secret from Katniss, but he knew that she would never agree to it if she found out. And as much as he hated to admit it, Gale was right- Katniss needed to get Prim back, and there was only one way to achieve that. Only one person who could make that happen... only one person who could give her that most precious gift.

Gale.

Peeta would have to play another charade for the games this year with Gale, just as he did last year with Katniss.

He'd have to go along with the act that he and Gale were friends, and that he was doing everything he could to keep him alive to win the game, when really he was only trying to keep him alive long enough to make Prim the victor.

Peeta was growing tired of playing charades.