Disclaimer: The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, two of the best books I've ever read, are owned by Suzanne Collins and I don't have any rights to them except the right to read them and love them. Here's my attempt of trying to continue the story. I'm sure it will pale in comparison to Suzanne's wonderful work, but here goes.

Chapter One

"Katniss, there is no District Twelve."

Those words echo around the parts of my brain that have just shut down and ceased thought. Because who could really think beyond that? My home, though it wasn't much with the coal dust covered streets, homes, buildings and people is gone. Blown up by the Capitol that has taken so much from us. They've taken our freedom, our food, Prim's innocence, Rue's life, Darius, the Avox girl, Cinna and… No, I can't even think about him right now.

Gale studies me with his gray eyes. They pierce me as if they try to read my thoughts and I turn from him and his burned face. My arms fasten on his bandages under his miner's shirt. "Your family?" I croak out. I think of Hazelle, the mother I so admired, and the three young siblings that Gale has tried to keep alive by all those extra slips of paper with his name on them for the reaping. I almost don't want to know, but suddenly I'm starving for the information.

"Safe," he murmurs and I can feel his hand tighten on me. Safe, but not unharmed, I thought. I raise my eyebrows at his short statement and I wait for him to finish. "Mom and Posy are fine. But Rory has a broken leg and Vick has some burns. Your mom and Prim helped fix them right up."

I nod and I sigh. "And Madge? The Mayor and his wife? Peeta's family? Greasy Sae and Rippa?" All the faces of those I know flick past my eyes like the dead tributes at the end of the day during the Games.

He sighs and sits in a chair. He leans back. "Madge and the Mayor are fine. Her mother didn't make it. Greasy Sae is burned, but okay. Rippa was lost, I'm not sure where. I don't know if the baker and his family made it or not." His voice is almost curt and I try to block it out. I can't meet his eyes.

There's all this emotion inside me and I'm afraid of looking at Gale when it rushes out. I'm afraid that what will come out isn't something he wants to hear or experience. I don't even know if I do. All I know is that there is something cold and empty inside me even with all these rolling emotions. They won't fill the hole.

"Catnip," Gale murmurs and I shake my head. I feel something warm and wet leak from my eyes but I don't look up. His scarred fingers brush my cheeks. "We'll be in District 13 soon. They're all waiting to meet you."

I've had it. I can't take anymore. I rip myself away from the tubes and needles. As I reach the other side of the table, I vomit until I feel raw inside. They want a mockingjay, a girl on fire, and all I have is vomit and tears. I feel his hand on my shoulder, and for once, I shake my head. "Don't touch me," I rasp out as I wipe my mouth on the corner of the sheet. His hand is still on my shoulder slightly squeezing and I shrug him off. "Don't touch me," I say again, louder. I'm ashamed. The door opens and I see an attendant clean up the mess. Another one comes over to inspect the holes in my arms. I don't turn to see if Gale is still watching me. I can feel his eyes burning holes into my back.

"Can you all just leave me alone?" I rasp out. There's no real damage to me. They file out. It's just Gale and me again. I still don't look at him as I say, "I need to get dressed."

"What's going on in that head of yours?" he asks furiously. I shake my head. I don't even know what is going on inside my head. I try to think of something else, anything else, and my mind fixates on a roof top at sunset. Of Peeta running his fingers through my hair and asking to freeze that moment in time. His favorite color is orange… the color of sunset. I move around to a small set of drawers. I open it up and find some kind of dark green jump suit. I haul the pants under the medical gown so that Gale can't see since he insists on not moving. Stubborn, hard headed Gale. He never changes.

But I have. I'm different on the inside and out. I put the jacket on under the gown as well and rip the gown over my head. "Where's Haymitch and Plutarch?" I demand.

He's silent so I take a deep breath and turn. He's staring at me as if I'm something he can't understand. Can't he see he can't read me like he used to? I'm not the same old Catnip anymore. I'm someone else entirely. I am what they made me. I'm the mockingjay… I'm the girl on fire. Resigned, he sits up and stands up. "They're with your mother and sister."

My heart twists. I need to see them. Gale must see at least that in my eyes and he nods. "Come on," he says and I follow him out of the room with beds. I notice that Beetee is sleeping and not hooked up to quite so many machines. Maybe he's not really sleeping. Maybe he heard it all. I realize I don't care.

I hear voices down the hall and walk through an open door. There's my mother and my sister. They look older. Just another thing the Capitol is responsible for. Plutarch abruptly stops talking as he sees me. My mother and Prim finally see me. With a startled cry, my mother runs to me and hugs me. Her arms are so strong around me. When did that happen? When did she become so strong? And there's Prim with silent tears running down her face. I hold out my arm and she runs to me. We stand there for a moment, the three Everdeen women and finally, I feel something to click in place. We're united in a way that I never felt possible. I look up and see Haymitch watching us. Then I feel cold.

His chin rises up as if to say I did what I did so deal with it and move on. Well, I plan on moving on. They wanted a girl on fire, did they? Well, now they have one. There was a mantra going on inside my head. Save Peeta. Save Peeta. Save Peeta. Over and over it repeats itself. So, I raise my chin up. I challenge Haymitch with my eyes. I ask a question that I would normally ask my mentor before going into the games. "What do you want me to do?"