Dinner that night was a feast, but the best part of the celebration was having Gale seated with everyone. The children loudly told Gale everything that had happened while he was sick, Hazelle smiling broadly between her children and whipping the occasional tear away.

"-And Mom was going to sell her ring." Rory told Gale looking excitedly between Gale and Katniss as if he just spilled a huge secret. Gale's spoon clattered to his dish and Katniss froze instantly in her place.

"Rory!" Prim hissed jabbing her elbow into his side while Hazelle gave her 2nd eldest son a pointed look.

"You didn't." Gale whispered to his mother.

"No, dear," Hazelle answered by raising her left hand to show her wedding band securely on her hand, "But if Katniss did, it would have been worth it, and I would gladly do it again."

"Catnip?" Gale gave her a pointed look that said 'how did you buy the medicine?'.

"I traded, and we had extra coin saved up." Katniss responded. Gale clearly looked like he didn't believe her, but dropped the subject.

"Well, thank you." Gale nodded.

"That's what partners do." Katniss shrugged staring into her soup.

Two days later, Gale was cleared by Mrs. Everdeen to go back to work, and though he wasn't 100% back to health, Katniss was positive Gale had insisted he was better and would have gone to work that day whether or not he was allowed. And suddenly, life was like it was before. The first Sunday after Gale returned to work saw the two huddled in their cabin by the lake enjoying a late lunch of tesserary bred and goat cheese.

"I ran into Darius the other day." Gale broke the comfortable silence as the two watched the fire crackle in front of them.

"Oh, what did he want?"

"He told me he was glad to see me back on my feet."

"Hm, that's sweet of him."

"Said you got really freaked out, and he thought I died or something."

"You were going to." Katniss nodded.

"He also told me he saw you go to Cray's the other night." Gale's words settled like ice in her stomach. Gale, obviously already knowing the rest of the story, or guessing, rounded on Katniss.

"He wanted to make sure you were ok."

"I traded with Cray for the medicine."

"Yeah, I figured that one out." Gale's voice was now cold and spiteful. Instantly, Katniss knew Gale knew exactly what she had traded.

"You were going to die." Katniss whispered pulling her legs to her chest and dropping her gaze to stare at her muddy shoes.

"And in what universe did you think trading with Cray was the perfect option?!" Gale was now on his feet furry running through his veins. His normally large structure towered over her, and even with her legs curled tightly against her chest, she willed the floor to swallow her whole so she wouldn't have to live this moment.

"You were dying, Gale. I couldn't find anything in the woods for days, the kids were starving and there was nothing I could do!" She attempted to explain.

"You should have sold my mother's ring!" Gale hissed back.

"Are you serious, Gale!" Katniss now jumped to her feet to face her hunting partner. "You're pissed at me for saving your and the kids' lives?!"

"I-" Gale faltered before rubbing his forehead and pacing the room. And then in a much softer voice, "I wish you hadn't done that."

"What I chose to do doesn't concern you."

"You can't ever get that part of you back."

"Do you really think I could have let you die when there was something I could have done to save you?"

Her comment caught her off guard and he stopped his pacing to stare at his partner with something she couldn't read. There was a pregnant pause before he seemed to hit realization.

"Was that your first?" He asked quietly.

"Gale, it doesn't matter."

"It does to me."

"Yes, it was. But it doesn't matter."

Gale sank against the window frame. "I'm so sorry, Catnip."

"It's not a big deal."

"It's sick. I want to kill him for touching you like that." Gale growled. Images of Cray's hand twisting her insides pulled Katniss away from the present.

"It's fine."

"I know you don't think of things like that, but its not. Your first time should be- special."

"It's just sex, Gale. You have it loads of times." Katniss rolled her eyes as Gale twinged at her words.

"I wouldn't say loads, but sex is special. It's the one thing we've got in this forsaken world."

"It saved your life, and I'd willingly to it again to save you, or the kids."

"Its so fucked up." Gale shook his head.

"I'm ok with the choices I made, you should be too." Katniss told him in finality, anything to end this conversation.

"You shouldn't be."

"Just sit down and eat the rest of lunch. We need to head back soon if we're going to make it home at a reasonable hour."

After Gale found out Katniss' secret trade, there was a slight shift in their relationship. In times of silence, Katniss caught Gale lost in thought more often starring at her than not. It was an odd transition, and often made Katniss uncomfortable in those moments, but not so much that she wanted their relationship to return to what it was. Moments like these confused her greatly, and she'd often huff loudly with frustration before stomping towards her next agenda.