Coming Home
Told from Gale's Point of View
He was back. After two years his home district had cleaned up quite nicely. He hated it. He hated how he could save so many here yet life could go on without him. He hated that he could vanish without a trace and no one would miss him. No one would care. Katniss maybe, he thought. He made sure to remember to see her while he was here.
All the bodies littering the streets were gone, instead were brand-spanking-new cobblestone streets, straight from the Capitol. He was sure Katniss hated them. Back in District 2, where he worked, the streets were the same style. He hated them too. It reminded him all too much of the girl he was sure he had ruined his chances with, by running away after killing the only person she loved.
The district was alight with life, lights up all around the town square. The shops were all bustling and everyone moved around the crowded area. He stood directly in the center. He stretched out his arms and dropped them. No one took notice of him. He was just a speck floating around in the universe. He was alone.
Back in District 2, his bed was always empty. He didn't have any friends or anyone to love, just his militaristic job. The few hours he was home each night, he spent with Johanna. They bought a bottle of liquor and ranted about the horribleness of life, and after they would pleasure the other, because they were both so desperately lonely they couldn't stand it. Even that only lasted a few months. They were getting too close to one another, and neither could afford to care about someone other than themselves. He had to get away. That's what brought him home to District 12.
Someone shifted beside him, shuffling to get past. He obliged and moved. He watched the person walk away. He didn't notice until it was too late that the person he moved for was Katniss. She had been walking in the direction of the Victor's Village. He wondered if she too had recognized him. He doubted it. He was, like he had thought before, just a speck floating around in the universe.
Very slowly, he began to shuffle his feet in the direction Katniss had been walking. Before making it even twenty feet, a sign catches his eye. Or more particularly, a name. He walks closer, his breath making clouds as he walked, his nose surely a bright pink, contrasting his olive tone. He looked at the sign again. It read, "Mellark Bakery". He peered in the window, wondering if it really was Peeta who had run the place. It was. The man himself was behind the counter. He was leaning too close to the customer on the other side of said counter. So close their lips almost brushed together. It was only then he saw her black braid and the bow and arrows sitting next to her feet. Their lips finally connected and all hope went out of him. So she hadn't gone to the Victor's Village.
He knew coming here was a mistake. He knew she would never be his. The couple pulled apart quickly and Gale could see from here Katniss' telltale blush. Their foreheads touched and Katniss had suppressed a small giggle. They were lucky no one else had seen them.
Gale turned around and stormed away. How foolish he was. Thinking he could just come back and sweep her off her feet. That wasn't the Katniss way. It never was. Gale almost heads to the train station to go right back home, where he belongs, but he doesn't. He starts to admire the people around him. The happiness that he was standing in the center of. He didn't have the heart to leave this place. Not so soon. This was his true home.
So Gale stayed. He stayed because he didn't want to return to those lonely nights and Johanna attempting to make him feel something. All he felt was lust, never love. Because he knew the only person he could feel love for was Katniss.
Gale wandered from shop to shop, buying things here and there, something funny for Johanna, and some flowers, although he didn't know who they were for yet. Obviously Katniss was the first person to come to his mind. But she was with the baker, he thought bitterly. Johanna would just yell at him and throw the flowers in the trash. Prim was gone. Maybe he could give them to her. She was too kind to yell at Gale, even if it had been his own bombs. He knew Prim was bigger than blame. He also knew her sister wasn't.
He had heard about the mass grave in the Meadow, for all those killed in the firebombs, so he started walking. His feet still remembered the way. He remembered coming along this path, when it was still made of dirt, when he and Katniss had been as close as could be. He remembered the sunny days when he knew he was the only one who could make Katniss laugh, even on her worst days. He wondered if he could do the same thing today. The scene in the bakery replayed in his head as he walked to where Prim was buried. If there was any of her left. The thought brought rarely seen tears to his eyes.
It was easy to find where Prim was buried. She was one of the lucky few to have a headstone. There was already a shriveled up primrose that looked to be about a day old next to her name. Gale placed his daisies next to it and sat down on the ground and began to cry. He kept his long held back sobs as quiet as he could. He couldn't let anyone know he was crying. At the same time, he couldn't think of anyone who would care.
It took over an hour, but Gale finally stopped the tears from flowing. He sat for a while, and then all the words that were held back came out. "I'm so sorry Prim. I never in a million years meant to hurt you, and because I did, it haunts me every day." His sobs started to come back again. Soon enough gasping began again, only to stop when there was a hand on his shoulder. He turned around. It's her.
She gave him the smallest of smiles. "I thought that was you." She placed another primrose on the headstone. "I visit her every day. I always bring her a flower. Peeta and I planted primrose bushes around our house, so I usually use those." She sat and hugged her knees. She was calm, something that could only be described as peaceful. They spend a few minutes in a comfortable silence. After a while, she broke it. Gale was a little disappointed. Things had almost been like old times. "How are you?"
Gale's tearful eyes staring at her had been answer enough. She looked back at Prim's grave, and her own tears started to form. "I'm not great." He finally managed, although his voice cracked. "And how are you?"
Another long silence had followed. "Better." She said, her voice strong. Gale wasn't sure what to say in response to that. He used to know her so well. "I wasn't good for a long time. But he brought me back to life. And then we healed together." She stopped, letting him process the information. He still didn't respond. "We're married. Gale, I chose Peeta." Five more minutes of silence passed. Eventually Katniss got tired of waiting for him. She brushed off her pants and got up to leave. She slid her bow over her arm. She took a few steps when his voice finally pierced the air.
"I'm sorry." He kept looking at the flowers he had dropped off. Gale couldn't see it, but Katniss' face softened at this. This had struck a chord with her. She walked back over and squatted down in front of him. She puts her hand on his cheek. It was rough with stubble. It felt familiar.
"I know." She murmured. Katniss quickly pecked his cheek, looked into his eyes, seeing his pain, and left as silently as she had come.
Maybe, he thought, maybe she still had something. A spark that ignited her. He couldn't sleep until he saw her again. At least once more. He made the walk to the Victor's Village as fast as he could. He saw the lit up house. It was painted orange and forest green and he knew this was where Katniss had spent her last two years. He walked up and stood on the sparsely lit porch. As he was about to knock on the door, a slurred voice stopped him. "She's better off without you, kid." Gale turned around to look at him. Haymitch's bottle sloshed with liquor, and he had obviously been loaded. After a short pause, he continued. "She's always going to blame you for her sister dying, you know." Gale nodded, his face was somber.
Gale took his time thinking before he replied. "I'm trying to make peace with it. I think she is too." Haymitch had started laughing, a big, booming laugh.
"Kid, take a glance in the window. Does it look like she misses you?" Gale did what the old man said, and peered in the window. Katniss and Peeta were in the kitchen. Flour was all over Peeta's face, and Gale wanted to laugh at how stupid he looked. Perhaps less so when he saw Katniss and Peeta laughing. And perhaps less so when Peeta lifted Katniss up on the counter and she smiled as she kissed him sweetly. Gale turned away from the window, his cheeks were red. Haymitch looked at him smugly.
"Maybe not. But I know she feels something for me." He argued. Haymitch rolled his eyes lazily.
"Then you need to take another look in that window." Gale took one last glance in the window. Katniss was still on the counter, and Peeta was kissing her deeply. Katniss' wedding ring shined brightly, almost mocking Gale. "She's married now. She can't survive without him."
Gale choked back his sorrow. "But she was able to survive without me." It was more of a statement than a question.
"Who got her through two Games? Who brought her home? Who didn't leave her after the rebellion? Who didn't kill her sister?" Haymitch looked almost triumphant at this. He took another swig of his white liquor.
"Peeta." Gale muttered the name, barely able to spit it out.
"That's right, Peeta. He gave up everything for her. For God's sake the poor boy was hijacked and still fell back in love with her. He's stronger than you give him credit for, you know. He kept her safe when you didn't."
Gale said the next thing very slowly. "If it was me, would she have broken down?" He knew that Haymitch would be honest, no matter how brutal the verdict.
Haymitch's voice softened a bit, so little it was almost unnoticeable. "No, son. I don't think she would have." He put his hand on his shoulder. Gale jumped at the surprisingly strong grip. "I think it's time for you to move on."
Gale turned to look at the old man again. A small smile very slowly spread across face. "I think you're right." Haymitch gave Gale a crazy look. But Gale wasn't crazy. He just realized that the reason for coming here, to escape Johanna, was all for not. Because Johanna was really Gale's true home. He ran down the stairs of the porch and back to the center of town. He grabbed his briefcase from his old hiding place in the woods, and caught the next train to District 2. In his briefcase, he found a note. It was from Katniss.
Dear Gale, I love you. I always will. But you were right when you said I would pick whoever I can't survive without. I was able to survive without you in the Games, but I'll always need Peeta. Don't ever forget our times in the woods. Your best friend, Katniss
Gale sat back and smiled. Everything had fallen into place. It may have taken longer than he thought, but he finally had closure. Katniss forgave him, she was happy with Peeta, and most importantly, Gale learned that he was in fact in love with Johanna.
And although Gale never pictured his and Johanna's son with Katniss and Peeta's daughter, he couldn't say he was disappointed.