Gale sat in the room waiting to say goodbye to his friends and family. He couldn't imagine how scary it was for Peeta at thirteen, here he was at seventeen and he felt like throwing up. It had all happened so fast. As soon as he heard Morse's name being called he knew there was no way Morse would survive. With both Peeta and last year's victor both having not killed anyone, the Capital wouldn't let that happen again. The Gamemakers were going to be out for blood, the more the better.

He always knew the Capital was evil but now volunteering to be a part of their games made him hate them even more. Morse was gentle, he would never be okay hurting or killing another person. Gale on the other hand would do anything to get back to his family. Right now, they were depending on Peeta's generosity but how long before he stops or more likely be forced to stop helping them.

But if Gale won, his family would never be hungry again and they would not have to rely on anyone else. He needed to put out of his mind that they were kids, just like him and his friends.

The first to come to see him was his mother and siblings. Vick and Rory were crying but Posy was too little to understand what was going on. His mom was still pregnant when their father died in the mine. Rory and Vick were too little to really remember their dad, but Posy never got to see him. He had remembered his dad was so excited when his mom said she was pregnant again. He was sure he was getting a little girl; he was right but never got to live long enough to see her.

"Please come back, you've got to come back," Rory said, clutching Gale's dress shirt. It was the only one he owned, it used to be his dad's. Everything he owned used to be his dad's.

"There are going to be a lot of others in the arena." He refused to lie to his siblings.

"But you'll try really hard right?" Vick asked.

"I'll try really hard, I promise." He hugged his brothers and sister before his mom sent them out before her.

"Why?"

"I couldn't let him go in. I love him."

"I know that, I'm not that oblivious. But I don't understand why it has to be you. Morse could have survived."

"He can't even kill a rat." He was the one that had to kill the rat and help Morse off the table he was standing on.

"I knew this was a risk, having four was very selfish of me. Please, come back."

"I promise to try, Mom." She hugged him and then left; he pretended not to hear when she started crying before she shut the door.

Next was Katniss, who as soon as she walked in hit him in the gut. "Ouch."

"What were you thinking?"

"That I can't let him die in that place. You know he doesn't stand a chance."

"Neither did Peeta but he came out alive."

"You're not stupid Katniss, they won't let another winner come out without a kill count."

Katniss looked down at her hands, they were scrubbed clean, like every Reaping day. Every other day they were covered with dirt and sweat from hunting or picking herbs.

"I can't lose you, Gale," she said so quietly he almost didn't hear her. "I don't know what I would have done without you."

"I do, you would have survived, that's what you are Katniss, a survivor. Please, make sure they don't starve. At any time, the Capital could do something and make it impossible for them to stay with Peeta."

"I promise but you better come back."

He pulled her into a hug, shocking her. Katniss wasn't a tactile person, but he probably wouldn't see her again. "Make sure Morse keeps going, that he doesn't blame himself."

She pulled out of the hug and nodded. "I will."

The next visitor was Morse and if he thought Katniss's hit was hard it was nothing on Morse's.

"Oh," Gale said, bending over, holding his stomach. "Will you people stop hitting me."

"YOU FUCKING IDIOT! What did you think you were doing?"

"I won't apologize for it and nothing you can say will make me."

Gale had a few inches of height on Morse and more muscular. Morse was all sinewy muscles and long blond hair. There weren't many boys with long hair, it gets in the way of working. But Morse said that he pretty much got ignored by his mother unless he was defending Peeta or when Peeta went into the games.

"If you die in there I will never forgive you."

Gale wrapped his arms around Morse and kissed his forehead. Most people thought they got together when Peeta was in the games but that wasn't entirely true. When Gale's father died, Morse would sneak what food he could from the bakery, it wasn't a lot but in the beginning it was everything to him. They became friends and then something more later.

"I can only try my best, but I'd die for you a hundred times over."

"If you think this is going to get me to have sex with you when you get back you are absolutely right."

"Guess I really have to come back now."

There was a knock on the door. A peacekeeper opened the door, telling him that he had one more visitor before his time was up.

The last visitor he didn't know. It was an old man, maybe in his seventies. He was leaning on a cane heavily.

"Hello sir."

"Call me Tee, I know you don't know me, and you don't owe me anything. But I'm here to ask you to help my little girl. I know she's not getting out of there; I know that. But I don't want her death to be some spectacle."

"I'm not sure what you're asking."

"She doesn't know what's going on. I don't want her scared when she dies. She's all I've got left in this world. She's my daughter's little girl. My wife died of the flu over thirty years ago, then my Annie died in childbirth. Her husband tried but he didn't know how to raise a baby that was so sickly. He left her with me and disappeared into the woods. Probably long dead but Shay is all I have. She was born early, too early. I was able to afford Doc Klein to save her, but she's always been a bit slow. Heart of gold she has. I just don't want her scared. If she could understand I would have her do what the girl a few years did, end it on her terms. But she doesn't understand."

"You're asking me to kill her but not let her know?"

The old man nodded. "I know how it sounds but she's going to be terrified when the games start, I've convinced her it's all make believe because she used to cry while she had to watch it. She has no idea what's going to happen. Please. I've noticed they usually have some kind of poison berries, mushrooms or fruit in the games, every year. Your reputation precedes you; I know you're good at identifying things like that. If you can, take her with you and if you find some just give it to her. Not the ones that make the death linger but like Nightlock if they have it, it kills before you know what's happening."

Gale had Katniss to thank for all his knowledge about things that grow. He had no business telling this man he would do what was asked but…"I'll try my best."

The old man patted Gale's cheek, he had to stand straight to reach but he did it. "If my little girl can't come out of there, I hope you do. I'm not asking you to sacrifice yourself for her, just let her have a good death, please."

Gale nodded, his throat had dried up and he couldn't swallow any longer. "I promise," he finally got out.