Author's Note: So this is a new departure for me, but The Hawthorne Whisperer over at tumblr, not content at dragging me into one new ship, also dragged me into Gadge and this was the result.

This is the first time I've written anything in The Hunger Games world, so please be kind and I have tried to be true to characterisation, although there were times when they refused to play ball.

This first chapter is a little bit choppy, so apologies for that. It also relies very heavily on the canon conversation between President Snow and Katniss, with most of the dialogue coming straight out of the book as well as some of the thoughts/actions of Katniss.

I'm British and whilst I have made an effort to try and 'Americanise' my dialogue, I've stuck to UK spellings because I would most likely forget to change it half the time and then each chapter would be a mix of UK/US spellings, so I've gone for consistency.

A big massive thanks to swirlsofblack for beta'ing this fic for me despite have very little knowledge of the series. The grammar and flow is so much better thanks to her contribution.

Also thank you to the aforementioned Hawthorne Whisperer who patiently answered questions and listened to my rambling aimlessly on about aspects of this fic. Also thank you to Jeeno2 who was very supportive when I mentioned venturing into this fandom.

Disclaimer: I'm not Suzanne Collins, this fic was written purely for fun and no profit has been made from it.

"Just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it," Katniss said, her heart pounding as she looked across the table to where President Snow sat, his cold eyes watching her.

"If only it were that simple." He picked up one of the flowered cookies her mother had brought in with the tea just a moment ago and examined it. "Lovely. Your mother made these?"

"Peeta did." And for the first time since she'd walked into the room, Katniss found that she was unable to hold President Snow's gaze. She reached for her tea but sat it back down, the cup rattling against the saucer. To cover her nervousness, she grabbed a cookie.

"Peeta. And how is the love of your life?" he asked.

"Good," Katniss replied.

"At what point did he realise the exact degree of your indifference?" he asked, dipping the cookie into his tea.

"I'm not indifferent," Katniss said.

"But perhaps you are not as taken with the young man as you would have the country believe," he said.

"Who says I'm not?"

"I do," said the president. "I wouldn't be here if I were the only person who had doubts. How's the handsome cousin?"

"I don't know...I don't…" Katniss broke off, unable to continue and repulsed at having to discuss the two people she cared most about with President Snow.

"Speak, Miss Everdeen. Gale,is it not? I can easily kill him off if we don't come to a happy resolution. You aren't doing him a favour by disappearing into the woods together each Sunday."

For one small beat of her heart, Katniss' mind was blank. She was unable to think beyond the cookie that she held in her hand. It was shaped like a tiger lily, she noted abstractly before the implication of President Snow's words really hit her.

He knew about the woods, which meant that he must know what they do in the woods. It was no secret that Gale and Katniss went hunting; they would return each Sunday night loaded with game – they had done it for years. Anyone could have told the president that. But if he was not concerned with the hunting, then what else did he think Katniss did with Gale in the woods? Had the Capitol been tracking them there? That would be impossible, at least if they did it by foot. That left the obvious answer of cameras, which had never crossed Katniss' mind until that moment.

If they did have cameras in the woods, then how long had they been there? Had they only just been following Katniss around since she had returned to District 12 a victor? Or had they been there before, watching as she and Gale hunted and spoke treason against the Capitol?

What else had the cameras picked up? Katniss' heart skipped a beat as she realised just why President Snow could be threatening Gale. Had he seen? Had they somehow been spotted?

Katniss herself still wasn't sure what that kiss had meant. She had not been prepared for the way Gale had suddenly pressed his lips against hers, or for the way they had been so warm and soft. It had been unexpected, and almost as if sensing her surprise, Gale had muttered something about just needing to know before he had disappeared, leaving Katniss in a swirl of undecipherable emotion.

She had remained shaken up until she had seen Gale the Sunday after. All week she had worried that he would demand her commitment to something. Would he refuse to be her friend if she told him how confused she was?

Then there was Peeta – for all intents and purposes, they were a couple. The Capitol certainly thought they were, and while they might have been met with some scepticism by the people of District 12, who had eyed her and Gale askance, Katniss knew there was no going back on the pretence. At least not until there were a few more Hunger Games between them and their victory, but would Gale understand that?

However, it had never come up. She had met Gale as usual and he had said nothing. Her own conflicted feelings meant that she was never going to willingly bring the topic up and she had gratefully followed his lead and not mentioned the whole thing, happy to try and forget that it had ever happened.

Until now.

"Please don't hurt Gale," she whispered. "He's just my friend. He's been my friend for years. That's all there is between us. Besides, everyone thinks we're cousins."

Katniss could see the doubt in President Snow's cold eyes. She had caused this. By trying to pretend the Games had never happened, she had brought the president and his threats down on those she loved. By ignoring Peeta and trying to pick things up with Gale as if she had never stepped foot in that arena had brought them all into danger: Gale, his family, her family and Peeta, all because of her own carelessness.

"Besides," Katniss found herself saying, "Gale is dating someone."

President Snow tilted his head slightly to the side and she took it as encouragement to continue. She had to do this. She needed to make sure nothing would happen to Gale.

"He's been seeing her for a while."

"And who is the lucky girl?"

"Madge. Madge Undersee." The name flew out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

"The Mayor's daughter?" he asked.

"Yes…yes," Katniss stuttered, desperately trying to work out how she could spin this so it was even a little bit believable. "They've kept it a secret. Madge is worried that her father won't understand."

The small smile on the president's lips caused her to stop. He didn't believe her. She knew he didn't. Mayor Undersee's daughter and a boy from the Seam… Even an outsider like President Snow would see it for the lie it was.

However, it appeared the president was happy to humour her lie.

"I see," he said. "Well, perhaps I should inform Mayor Undersee and suggest that he show the young couple some mercy. After all, we cannot help who we fall in love with, can we, Katniss?"

Katniss shook her head and tried her hardest to hide her agitation. If President Snow went to the Mayor then this whole relationship would have to play out the same way that hers and Peeta's did. Had she just condemned Gale and Madge to the same charade?

"Hopefully, once your cousin's love life is sorted out, there will be improvement in your dynamic with Peeta, thereby affecting the mood in the districts," he said.

"I will make sure it is on the tour. I'll be in love with him just as I was," Katniss said.

"Just as you are," President Snow corrected.

"Just as I am," she confirmed.

"Only you'll have to do even better if the uprisings are to be averted," he said. "This tour will be your only chance to turn things around."

"I know. I will. I'll convince everyone in the districts that I wasn't defying the Capitol, that I was crazy with love," she said.

President Snow rose and dabbed his puffy lips with a napkin. "Aim higher in case you fall short."

Katniss was confused and asked, "What do you mean? How can I aim higher?"

"Convince me," he said, as he dropped the napkin and retrieved his book.

Katniss couldn't watch as he headed to the door so she flinched when he suddenly appeared by her side and started whispering in her ear. "Just make sure your cousin remembers how lucky a boy he is to have such a beautiful and refined girlfriend. We wouldn't want anything to go sour between them because of any stray kisses," the president said, before he exited the room.

Katniss stayed stock still for a moment, her breath trapped in her chest, the hint of blood lingering in the air around her. Her mind was taken up by the realisation that the smell of blood had been on President Snow's breath and she wondered if he drank it.

Then the horrifying realisation of what had just happened fully hit her. Gale would be safe for the immediate future in the mine, and out of the way, but Madge wasn't. Katniss heard the president's car start up and she knew she had moments before he descended onto the Mayor's household and an unsuspecting Madge.

For once, Katniss was grateful to have a telephone. She usually only ever used it to chat with Cinna, having no need to talk with Peeta or Madge over a telephone line (Haymitch's house sported a hole in the wall where his telephone had once been).

Darting out of the room towards the kitchen, where the telephone was located, Katniss barely missed mowing her mother down. "Is everything all right, Katniss?" she asked.

"It's fine," she said, not having time to fully ease her mother's nerves. "I just need to remind Madge about something really quickly," she tacked onto the end before disappearing around the corner and into the kitchen.

Katniss bounced on her toes as she tapped the numbers into the telephone and waited for a connection. Finally, the Undersee's maid picked up and Katniss asked to speak to Madge.

As she listened to the woman's footsteps fade away, Katniss worried about just exactly what she could say. If the president knew about her kiss with Gale in the woods, then this phone line was probably bugged. She needed to work out how to convey what she had said regarding Gale to Madge without raising any red flags with those who were probably listening.

There was a clatter of noise at the other end and the receiver was picked up once more.

"Hello?" Madge said.

"Madge, its Katniss."

"Katniss? Shouldn't you be with your prep team?"

"They're not here yet. They will be soon. I just needed to tell you something quickly."

"Is everything okay? You sound a little breathless."

"Oh yes, it's fine. I just wanted to tell you that your…little…er…problem regarding Gale is going to be okay. Someone is coming to help solve it."

There was a pause at the other end of the line and Katniss could tell that Madge was trying to decipher her words and felt relieved that she obviously knew that something was wrong.

"Right. Gale. Does your cousin know?"

Katniss gave a little smile. Madge knew that Gale was not her cousin and this was her way of letting Katniss know that she was on alert for any situation involving him.

"He's still at work and won't be finished for a while yet. He will miss my departure."

"No problem. I'll make sure to tell him then."

"Great. I need to go now. My prep team will be here any minute. Thanks, Madge."

"I'll see you later," Madge said, and Katniss rang off.

She heard her mother's footsteps coming back from clearing away the tea. "Katniss? You're still here? Is everything all right with Madge?"

"Oh yes. She's fine."

"And the president…?" her mother trailed off.

Katniss knew she could not burden her mother with President Snow's threats. She did not want her to know just how dangerous their situation was. "Yes, we never see it on the television, but the president always visits the victors before the tour to wish them luck," she said airily with a smile.

Her mother's face flooded with relief. "Oh, I thought there was some kind of trouble, especially as you tore off to call Madge afterwards."

"No, none at all," she said. "The trouble will start when my prep team sees how I've let my eyebrows grow back in."

Her mother laughed and Katniss couldn't help but think that there was no going back now. She had taken control of the family at the age of eleven and there was no giving it back.

"Why don't I start you a bath?" her mother asked.

"Great," Katniss said.

Her mother was obviously pleased with that response and started to make her way up to the bathroom.

Katniss could only hope that Madge would be able to reassure her own parents as easily. She had managed to put her friend in quite a position, but she could not be sorry for it. If it kept Gale safe from the president's threats, then it would be worth it. She only hoped that Madge would understand.

Gale's reaction did not bear thinking about.