This chapter has a bit of history behind it. Most of it I wrote quite a while ago (or, well, the frame part of most of it) whie I was brainstorming ideas with myself. I later decided I didn't want to use it but kept it around because I usually save "deleted scenes" for a while. Then as I was working on this particular stretch of the story I was having writer's block and then go the idea of reworking this particular discarded idea because it could actually fit with where I wanted to go.
Still with me? =) Here's the finished product, anyhow.

It's early morning the day after Peeta and I kissed heavily on the bed. I woke up before Peeta did and had to use the bathroom. By the time I got back out he had woken up too and was getting dressed. It made things a little awkward, like neither one of us was sure how to proceed from that point. So we said nothing and went downstairs to have breakfast.

It feels like something important should have changed between us after last night. Like we should have grown closer despite the fact that it didn't end the way I had wanted it to. Peeta doesn't act distant towards me but he's not especially affectionate either. I wonder if I could get that to change, if perhaps we could kiss again and his hands could touch me the way they did last night, or if we're back to status quo.

I have a strong desire to stay home today and see what will unfold between us but I have a previous engagement that I don't think I can get out of. I finish my breakfast before Peeta has even gotten started at his and while I brew us a pot of tea I try to figure out how to bring my plans for the day up without making things awkward.

I hesitate, slowly sitting down on a chair by the table. I set my tea mug down on the table but keep my hands wrapped around it, enjoying the warmth that radiates from it.

"I was… thinking about going to the woods" I say. "A week ago Gale saw a whole herd of deer who seem to be passing through these parts."

"Deer travel in herds?" asks Peeta, barely looking up from his breakfast.

"I don't… know for sure" I answer. "These were in a group at least. Does with calves. About five or six adult animals. They might have moved on by now but if we're lucky they're still around. If we manage to fell one of them, even just one of the calves, we'll have meat on the table for a long time. We'd be able to sell the parts we can't consume for ourselves. Gale and his family could both feed themselves and buy whatever supplies they might need."

Peeta nods, shoving another spoonful of oatmeal porridge in his mouth.

"We might be out all day" I continue hesitantly. "Gale can kill a deer on his own but he can't bring it back to town. Provided that we even find them, that is." I'm almost rambling at this point, feeling apologetic, wondering how much Peeta really minds. "Even once we've gotten to town it's going to take quite a while to get everything taken care of. So I'll be with Gale for several hours today."

"Katniss I don't mind that you spend all day alone with Gale" says Peeta, rising from his seat and bringing his now empty bowl over to the sink.

"You don't?"

He pauses, then begins to fill up the sink with hot water to clean up after breakfast.

"It's not my place to mind" he finally says. "I won't deny that I feel jealous that you would rather be with him all day than with me but I know I don't have a right to feel that way. And I know I'm not the easiest person to be around these days. Besides, you love being out in the woods and I'm not comfortable going out there. Asking you to stay home isn't going to change the fact that you want to be out there with him. So I don't mind, Katniss. I don't want to be any more of a hindrance to you than I already am. I'll sleep beside you tonight and that's enough for me."

I take my hands off the teacup and stand up, taking a small step in his direction. His back is turned to me and he's busy washing his bowl and spoon. His shoulders seem tense and he keeps his face turned towards the dishes, avoiding to look at me.

"I'm sorry" he says tensely. "I shouldn't have said any of that."

"You do have a right to mind" I say gently. "I'm your wife."

"In name only. In reality we're something else entirely." He actually gives me a brief glance and it's enough to tell me not to get too close, that he needs a bit of space right now. "Honestly Katniss I'm glad that you and Gale still have a good time together. I would hate to have ruined that for you, too."

I stare at him with slight bewilderment. What am I supposed to say to that? Why is he acting so strange? I feel like I'm getting rather mixed messages from him at this point and I don't like it. Let's face it, I can barely read the writing on the wall, much less decipher what's written between the lines.

But if he doesn't care that I spend all day with Gale then by all means I won't feel guilty that I do.

"Let's hope for deer on the table tonight, then" I say.

He nods but keeps his eyes focused on the dishes. I sigh and head up the stairs to brush my teeth and get dressed for a day out in the woods.

"We're never going to find the damn things" I huff and puff a few hours later. I'm hunched on the ground trying to find any traces of tracks, the position quite uncomfortable. "That many deer would make plenty of tracks in the new snow and we've seen nothing so far."

"What's the rush, Catnip?" asks Gale, coming up to stand beside me, a hearty grin on his face and his cheeks flushing in the brisk winter air. "The chase is half the fun."

"This isn't a chase" I mutter, rising to my feet. "It's several hours of walking around aimlessly hoping to stagger upon a flock of animals that most likely made it to District 4 by now."

"So?" asks Gale with a smile. "This is what we do, Catnip. You and me, out here, all by ourselves. It doesn't really matter if we find the deer or not."

"Oh yeah?" I snort. I wonder if he'll stand by that statement if he comes home this afternoon with no meat and has to see the look on Posy's face when she realizes she's not getting the dinner she was hoping for.

"Is everything alright?" asks Gale. "You've been on edge all morning."

"I'm just trying to find the damn animals so we can lock down a couple of weeks, maybe months, worth of meat on the table."

"You're awfully sweet to be that invested" he replies with a raised eyebrow.

"It's the deal, is it not? If you had lived in the Victor's Village and I was still in the Seam you would be just as eager to get this done as I am now."

"If I lived in the Victor's Village I would have made sure you came to live there with me a long time ago."

I turn my face away, trying my best not to show how irritated his comment makes me. I wish he would stop already with the insinuations. I used to find it frustrating when Peeta alluded to his feelings for me but now I miss that and having Gale do the alluding these days doesn't make anything any better. He needs to let go of the future we were never supposed to have.

He sees my scowl and frowns.

"Seriously Katniss, you seem really tense today."

"Well there's not a lot of tension relief around my house these days" I mutter, more to myself than to Gale. Before he can pick up on what I'm actually referring to and get upset I stalk off towards a nearby tree that looks like it would be easy to climb. "I'm going to get some altitude, see if I can spot the herd."

"Want me to hold your bag for you?"

I don't answer, grabbing a hold of a branch. With a huff I begin my climb, hoping that I will be able to see the animals once I get higher up in the tree. If we came out here all for nothing that's definitely not going to make my day any better.

I wake up feeling groggy, unsure of where I am and what has happened. My eyelids feel heavy and when I move my head it feels heavy too. I register faint beeping sounds and soft cotton sheets against my skin. Slowly I open my eyes and try to adjust them to the dim lighting in the room.

It takes a moment to become aware of where I am. I'm in a hospital room, a small one. At first I wonder if I've been taken to the Capitol but the quality, size and design of the room definitely doesn't suggest Capitol luxury. I must be in Twelve still. District 12 does have a hospital, albeit a very small one. It's there to tend to the medical needs of peacekeepers and one or two government officials and, apparently, Hunger Games victors. Madge was born in this hospital. I've never been inside it before but from what I've heard there are only three patient rooms and nobody on permanent staff. The three doctors and three nurses are called in only when there's need for them to be here. They spend the rest of their time in the Capitol, working at a more glamorous hospital. Hovercrafts transport them to the district when they are needed, though one doctor and one nurse always stays on location in case of emergencies. Every month they switch.

The beeping comes from a monitor beside the bed that shows my blood pressure, saturation and pulse as well as some other things I have no clue about. The window blinders are down, a small gap in them letting a bit of sunlight in. I can see dust twirling around in the air through the patch of light.

There's a small armchair by the window. Peeta is curled up on it, asleep in what looks like a very uncomfortable position. I smile and feel a sense of relief. He's here. Whatever has happened at least I'm not alone. His green shirt is wrinkly and his hair is a mess, curls standing out in every direction. The dim lighting makes it hard to tell if there are any bags under his eyes but he doesn't seem to have been getting much rest as there's a worried wrinkle on his forehead as he sleeps.

As I begin to become more awake I also begin to feel a pounding headache among other uncomfortable aches. Carefully I lift my left hand to my head and feel a bandage. I also notice that two IV catheters are in my left arm, both attached to IV bags with unknown content. I wish my mother was here to explain to me what is going on and what they have done to me. Not that I'm not used to waking up in hospital rooms after unknown treatments, having unknown substances pumped into my veins. At least this time Peeta is there with me, and probably has been there for some time to watch over me.

Slowly I move my hand back down to the mattress. Using both hands as leverage I gradually manage to scoot further up the bed and sit myself up a little. The activity hurts and causes the machine by the bed to start beeping more loudly as my pulse has gone up to 112 beats per minute and my blood pressure has gone up a bit as well.

The beeping wakes Peeta and after only half a second of being groggy he's fully alert and ready to act on whatever problem has arisen. When he sees that I'm awake and moving he gets up from his chair and hurries over to my bedside as fast as his legs can carry him.

"Easy" he says. "Easy… Don't strain yourself."

His cool hand lands on my forehead and it feels nice. I offer him a weak smile that does nothing to wipe away the worried frown on his face.

"Hey…" I say in a hoarse voice.

"You need to stay still" says Peeta worriedly.

The simple act of moving in the bed has made me tired so I do as he asks and allow myself to sink back against the mattress. A glance at the machine tells me that my pulse has gone below a hundred and the beeping goes back to the faint sound it made before.

"What happened?" I ask, my voice hoarse.

"Gale says you slipped and fell while you were climbing a tree." I frown as I try to remember, while Peeta continues. "You hit the back of your head, not to mention cracked a rib."

"I don't feel any pain in my ribs" I object.

"Maybe not yet because of the morphling, but trust me, it doesn't get really bad until a few days after." His hand gently strokes my brow and I find myself feeling strangely unconcerned. "You were knocked out for a while and Gale carried you back to town. They went pretty crazy on him for having dared to move you when the extent of your injuries had not yet been assessed." He says the last bit in what I can only imagine is an imitation of whatever medical professional worked on me. "They were concerned you had inner injuries."

"All that from falling from a tree?"

"You were pretty high up."

He sounds so worried that I can't help but smile a little. I reach up my hand and take his in mine, wishing I could find the words to tell him how much it comforts me that he is here. I realize I want his presence in a time like this more than I want my mother or sister.

"They're making an awful big fuss over me" I manage to say.

"Can't have anything bad happen to one of Snow's prized possessions" mutters Peeta in response, low enough that any hidden microphones won't be able to pick it up.

"How long have I been out?" I ask. "Where is Prim? My mother?"

"You came to at one point, they tell me" answers Peeta. "They put you back to sleep so they could prod and poke and x-ray and whatever else it is they like to do. You weren't entirely compliant and they were worried you might have hurt your back." The worried frown on his face smoothens out a touch. "Your mother and sister arrived here with me. Your mother is talking to the doctor and I sent Prim home to get some of your things. They want to keep you for a day or two for observation and pain management. I figured you'd be more comfortable with your own clothes."

"But you stayed" I say.

"Of course I stayed."

I'm still feeling very groggy and I'm vaguely aware that part of the pleasant feeling coursing through me is thanks to the drugs but all the same I find I don't mind this moment one bit. Peeta's hand in mine, his eyes locked with mine, the concern and affection written on his face… If only I wasn't so sleepy. I want to stay in this moment a while longer.

"I'm a bit tired" I say.

"I figure."

"Is it okay if I take a nap?"

He nods.

"Go ahead and rest. You need it."

"Will you still be here when I wake up?"

"Of course I will."

He presses a kiss to my forehead and I sigh contently, closing my eyes. My head falls a little to the right, brushing against my hand that is still holding Peeta's. I feel the thumb of his other hand gently brush my brow. His closeness, the morphling and the steady beeping of the machines soon lulls me back to sleep.

"Hush!" commands Peeta's voice in a whispering tone. "You might wake her up."

Confused I open my eyes slightly. My head still hurts and it feels so much better keeping them closed but I can't figure out what is happening around me right now. I fell asleep but something woke me up. Or someone, judging by Peeta's comment.

Through my barely opened eyelids I can make out the shapes of two people standing in the room, seemingly leaning back against the wall. Peeta and somebody else. Gale, it seems. I let my eyes close again. Hopefully I can go back to sleep. I'm exhausted and this headache is really draining.

"You're lucky, you know" I hear Gale say in a low voice. "The Hunger Games turned out to be lucky for you. You have her now."

"Don't put it like that" objects Peeta, also in a low voice. "She's not my property and the only thing I ever wanted from her is her love, her heart. That I don't have, and no amount of Capitol pressure or forced marriages will give me that. Only Katniss herself can ever give me that and only on her own accord."

There's a moment of silence. I pray that I will fall asleep soon because this does not seem like a conversation meant for my ears, and it's definitely not one I want to be overhearing. But if I open my eyes now I will reveal that I've heard at least part of their conversation and I can't deal with the awkwardness of that right now. My only option is to pretend to still be sleeping and hopefully I will drift back into the darkness soon enough.

"I'm surprised actually" says Gale. "I thought she would have loved you by now. What's so frustrating about you is that you're so damn nice. I thought for sure she'd be won over by someone as likeable as you."

Peeta chuckles, but it doesn't sound happy.

"What does it matter if I'm nice? The heart wants what the heart wants. Hers does not want me. Simple as that." He's quiet for a moment. "Besides, I'm not such a nice guy. I'm a murderer. I killed people in the arena."

"That's not the same."

"I think Katniss would tell you I haven't been a very nice roommate to have."

"I think if you ask Katniss to pick a word that describes you it would be nice."

"You're a nice person too. The way you fight for your family, work for them… How you look after Katniss when she needs it, and looked after Prim when we were in the arena… I don't know you very well but I know you're a nice person."

Gale laughs shortly.

"I guess then we can conclude that whatever Katniss' type is, it isn't nice guys."

I almost can't stop myself from frowning. What the hell is that supposed to mean? Come to think of it, why are they having this conversation in this room, when there might be microphones or cameras hidden?

"The heart wants what the heart wants…" says Peeta again. "Niceness or lack thereof doesn't have to be a factor. Either way she's not in love with me. And truthfully… I think that is to our advantage."

Gale doesn't respond and unfortunately Peeta does not elaborate. My headache worsens as I try to figure out what he meant. How could that possibly be anything but a disadvantage? Does he know something I don't?

My head is pounding and I hear a buzzing sound soon followed by another morphling induced fog. I'm still working on deciphering Peeta's words as I sink back into oblivious sleep.

When I wake up again Peeta isn't there. Gale is, however. I frown and lift myself up a little, looking around the room to see if I can spot my husband. Where has he gone? Did they send him home to rest? Is he out getting something to eat? Was he simply not sincere when he said he would definitely be here when I woke up? And why is Gale here? Why not my mother or my sister?

When I move Gale takes notice and shifts his eyes from the beeping machines to me, leaning forward in his chair. His hand lands on my brow and there's a concerned look in his eyes but I don't feel the comfort and relief I did with Peeta. Instead I just feel irritation.

"Where's…" I begin, finding I have to hark my throat.

"Prim and your mother are on their way" Gale assures me. "They just went home to feed Lady and the cat."

"No" I said, shaking my head slightly and immediately wincing. "Where did…" I hark again. "Where did Peeta go?"

A displeased look passes over Gale's face.

"They took him to the office to speak to some Capitol hotshot."

"Why?"

"Who cares why?" snorts Gale. Then he softens. "You really had me worried, Catnip. Don't go falling out of trees like that, alright?"

"Works for me" I mutter. I look around the room again trying to find my bearings. Peeta went to make a phone call. When will he be back? I don't mind Gale being here in the meantime but I still haven't seen my mother, my sister or Haymitch. "What time is it?"

"It's a little past eight in the evening."

"I've been out for that long?" I say with disbelief, knowing I must have fallen sometime before noon. "That's… over eight hours…"

"Try somewhere around thirty. You fell yesterday. They've been keeping you pretty drugged up since then."

I try to let this information sink in, try to figure out a timeline of events. When I first woke up, that must have been during the night going by Peeta's rumpled clothes and the fact that he had fallen asleep. But when did his conversation with Gale take place? If it's Monday that means Gale has had to work and can't have been here all day.

"How are you feeling, Catnip?" asks Gale tenderly.

"Confused" I say. "My head hurts. My… my ribcage is starting to feel a bit sore too." I glance at him and wonder if perhaps I can prod him a little. I'm still wondering about the things I heard Peeta say before. "I had this strange dream… With you and Peeta…"

"Enough about Peeta" says Gale.

I frown.

"Sorry?"

"Forget about him. I'm here with you now. He's going to be back soon and you'll have to fall back into that twisted world of make-believe but for the moment it's just us. Just you and me, Katniss…"

"What do you have against Peeta being here?" I question.

"He doesn't belong here."

"How do you figure that?"

Gale looks away, his hands fidgeting on his lap, his jaw tightening.

"He's a nice guy but… Catnip I just can't stand this whole fake romance thing and how everyone seems to be buying into it. How he gets to play this important role in your life and it's all a damn charade." He casts a glance at me. "When you were unconscious your mother and your sister came and so did Peeta and Haymitch. The doctor came out and he called only on Peeta. Apparently they suddenly give a damn about consenting to medical treatment and they needed him to give an opinion."

"He is my husband" I say.

"Yeah, for show." Gale looks away again, shaking his head in anger and disbelief. His hands grip the armrests of the chair and his jaw clenches again. The worry and frustration he's been bottling up appears to be coming to the surface and it worries me. This is not the woods. This is not the right place to talk about how fake my marriage to Peeta is. We don't know who is listening. "You know what really gets to me?" he asks. "The fact that Peeta didn't even consult us. Me, your mother, your sister. The people closest to you, who know you the best. He should have asked what we thought was the right thing to do. What we thought you would have wanted. Instead he took it upon himself to make those decisions for you and that makes me furious."

"Gale" I say. "Peeta is included in the group of people who know me the best. He's my husband. It was his choice to make. When it comes to matters of life and death I don't think anybody knows what I would want better than Peeta does." Something Peeta said before comes to mind. Was it only just yesterday he said it? It seems like weeks ago. "You don't have a right to be jealous, Gale." He gives me a sharp look but I don't back down. "I get that it's tough on you but you have no right to feel possessive of me or deny him his legal rights. He is my husband. It's his right to speak for me when I can't, to sleep with me, to make medical decisions for me if I'm unable to. The law gives him that right and I give him that right because I trust him that much."

"I can't believe you're saying this to me."

"I can't believe I have to" I retort. "If you can't accept him as my husband and accept that you and I are only friends and will never be more than that then I don't think you and I can continue being friends."

There. Now it's been said. The room goes completely quiet and Gale looks at me with anger and betrayal and what I think is a breaking heart. Only I meant what I just said – he has no right to feel that way and no right to make me feel bad about my loyalty to Peeta. I can't make constant excuses for feeling close to my husband, for wanting to grow closer still, and I really shouldn't have to. Gale has had years now to grow accustomed and to accept the way things are. He's known for some time that I'm not in love with him and there's a part of me that thinks that if he does genuinely love me then he should be happy for me if I do fall in love with Peeta, the man I will live with for the rest of my days.

But Gale is not like that. Gale can't let go of the things he wants. He's far too used to having to fight desperately for everything that matters and he's never been one to give up. He wants me, wants to know he matters more to me than Peeta does. I can't give him that. And I can't keep being his best friend if he's going to be constantly jealous of Peeta.

"Is that really what you want?" he asks finally. "For me to just walk out of this room? For you and I to no longer be friends?"

"That is the last thing that I want" I say sincerely. "But Gale I can't have you in my life in this way if you can't accept the way things are. Peeta matters to me. He's family. I can't apologise to you for being close with him. It's not fair to ask me to."

"It's also not fair for you to keep jerking me around" he says.

"Excuse me?"

He groans, seems to be searching for the words he needs to say. His hand runs through his thick, dark hair, pulling at it slightly.

"I need to know that I matter to you, too, Catnip."

Before I can formulate an answer the door opens and Peeta steps inside. Gale makes a face and keeps his eyes away from him but I look over at him and feel a mixture of relief and frustration. He seems to pick up on having interrupted something and makes a movement as if to leave but I quickly speak up to stop him.

"Hey, there you are."

"Yeah I…" He looks from me to Gale. "Do you guys need a minute?"

"Are we allowed to have one?" asks Gale. I don't understand the hostility. They seemed amicable when I overheard them earlier.

"Of course but…" Peeta hesitates. "I need to speak with Katniss as soon as you are done talking."

Something in his voice sets me on alert. He just got off the phone with some Capitol hotshot. If he needs to talk that can't be good news. I look over at Gale who seems to realize the same thing. He sighs a little and nods his head. Then he rises from his chair and leans in and kisses the corner of my mouth.

"I should get home to my mother and the kids anyway" he says. "Come stop by me when you get out of here, okay Catnip?"

His hand brushes my cheek and with a pointed look he leaves, giving Peeta a slight nod as he passes him by. Peeta looks uncomfortable, though not necessarily from watching our interaction. When Gale has left he closes the door and walks over to me, sitting down on the bed and taking my hand.

"You feeling okay?"

"Feeling confused" I answer. "Gale told me you were talking to someone in the Capitol. What happened?"

He sighs heavily and avoids my eyes for a moment.

"President Snow would very much like to know how one of his delicate victors wound up falling from a tree and knocking herself unconscious when there are no trees within the district parameters tall enough to cause that…"

"… Unless you go outside the fences" I finish the sentence.

"Pretty much."

He sits in silence for a minute, letting go of my hand and placing both of his on his lap. He looks straight ahead which means looking away from me. I pull my legs up and sit up more, wrapping my arms around my knees. The movement hurts my ribs.

"Peeta just tell me. You were able to talk your way out of it, right?"

"We're wanted in the Capitol for the conclusion of the Victory Tour."

"Yeah, we were last year too."

"This time they want us to leave immediately, or, well, in about a week when you'll be fit to travel. Haymitch is to represent the district's victors when the tour passes here."

A chill runs down my spine.

"So what do they want with us in the Capitol?"

He looks at me, a troubled frown on his face.

"I don't know Katniss."

It can't be anything good, that much is for sure. Not if they want us to leave already. The Tour is more than a month away. Peeta looks so troubled and weary and I feel bad for doing this to him. He isn't voicing any blame but I wouldn't hold it against him if he felt any. I should have been more careful. I can't remember what happened exactly but no doubt my state of mind contributed to me being careless.

"So I guess we're going to the Capitol" I say.

He nods, his head hanging.

"Yeah I guess we are."

Medically speaking Katniss' situation doesn't make 100 % sense. For instance if she had blacked out for any longer stretch of time that would be cause for serious concern (which is why I threw in the sedation thing as a handy plot device).
Next time we follow this point in time they will be in the Capitol!