BEHOLD…the end! I can't believe I'm hosting all these chapters in one day but also that's the kind of shenanigans I've come to expect from myself. Read, enjoy, and PLEASE REVIEW!

I wait until long after dark, hours that feel like years, before I go to see Gale. Mom and Prim are decidedly asleep when I leave, and I hope they'll stay that way until I return. They're used to me leaving at dawn to hunt. They're not so used to me sneaking out of the house at midnight, and I'd prefer to not have to explain it to them.

I'm careful, but really not worried as I sneak back to the Victor's Village. The day of a victor's return is a day of celebration for the district, and that includes the Peacekeepers. Security will be more relaxed than normal, tonight of all nights.

Sure enough, I don't see a single patrol out and about. I stick to the shadows just to be safe, even once I get to the village. Gale's lights are still on; that's a good sign. Maybe he predicted this, knew I'd come for him. My communication skills might not be the greatest, but I do have a thing for demanding answers. And Gale will know I want answers- any sane person would.

It takes me a few minutes to decide what to do. Knocking seems weird, and goes directly against my so-far sneaky approach, so I briefly consider going in through a window. I dismiss the idea just as quickly. Surprising Gale (and possibly having him lunge at me with a knife, if Haymitch is any indication of post-Games behavior) would cause just as much of a scene as knocking on the door would. Maybe even more. For once, the non-tactical option is the better one.

I grow concerned as I sneak towards Gale's porch. I hear yelling coming from inside the house- two men's voices, although I can't tell what they're saying. I hesitate, but eventually go through with my original plan of knocking on the door. I am motivated by equal parts stubbornness and curiosity.

The yelling stops momentarily. I hear footsteps and then the door swings open. I don't show any surprise because I'm not really surprised. Of course it's Haymitch. Who else is in a position to yell at Gale right now?

He scoffs when he sees me. "Why am I not surprised to see you again? This is exactly the shit I'm talking about, Hawthorne."

Gale ignores him and smiles tersely at me. "Come in, Katniss."

I'm no longer sure I want to come in, but I do anyway. I follow Gale into the living room, glancing around at the intricate decoration and furnishings of a victor's mansion. A peek into Haymitch's junk heap hasn't prepared me at all for what Gale's looks like. It's so luxurious by District Twelve standards it reminds me more of the Justice Building than any home I've ever seen.

It doesn't take long for Haymitch to start shouting again, interrupting my appraisal of the velvet drapes. "How many times do I have to fucking tell you, Hawthorne? Winning the Games does not give you free rein to do whatever you want!"

Gale doesn't say a word, just stares him down stonily. Not knowing what else to do with myself, I hover at his side, even though that's no more familiar to me than the room we're in.

"The Capitol won't spell it out for you, but I will," Haymitch growls threateningly. "You have an image now. You have fans."

I suddenly get a dark idea of where this might be going.

"Worse than that, you have people who are ready to riot because they wanted the girl to win, not you," he snaps. "They think you're a coward, and you know what? I do too."

"That's not fair," I interrupt, unable to help myself. "You can't have asked him to die for her. It was the Hunger Games! Everybody did bad things in hope it would help them survive!"

An animalistic growl escapes Haymitch's throat. "Don't you fucking start with me too. You know you're the reason we have a problem, right?"

Even though I'm honestly scared right now, I don't back down. "I've done nothing."

Haymitch thinks otherwise. "You sponsor him, getting into it with the Peacekeepers to do so. Then he calls your name while her body's still warm and slobbers all over you at the train station! DO YOU SEE THE PROBLEM?"

I wince and nod quietly, but Gale still seems disbelieving. "So I'm supposed to be loyal to Madge. But what can they really do? I'm a victor; they can't touch me."

Haymitch sneers at his naivety. "I guess you're right. They can't touch you. But her?" He points at me, and honestly, it's worse than when he yelled at me. "They'll kill her without a second thought. Your family, too. Do you still not get it? They did it to me!"

I swallow hard. Gale does too, and neither of us says a word.

"You will be loyal to Madge. You will make sure everyone you talk to- especially Capitol reporters- knows how grateful you are for her sacrifice. Most importantly, the two of you-" I get another pointed glare here. "-will not be seen together under any circumstances. You will follow these rules as if your life depends on it, because, get this: it does."

A shudder runs through me and I still cannot find my voice. Even Gale has been stunned into silence.

Oddly enough, this visit has not made me feel any better. So much for the plan.

"I have no doubt you'll do whatever you want to on your own time," Haymitch says icily. "But I'll let you make that call on your own."

He storms out of the house, more lucid than I've ever seen him before. I turn to Gale in horror, and he meets my eyes with a terse expression. In that moment, I know we share one singular thought:

What now?

you didn't think there would be a happy ending, did you?

For those of you who made it this far…thank you! I never thought I'd get to share TS with the world, and even though there hasn't been a *massive* response to it, I'm happy a couple people have read all the way through. If you liked this story, if you're excited and/or mildly curious about Book Two…I automatically love you and please review 3