(A/N) Was anyone else kind of angry about Mockingjay? I wasn't very satisfied with it in the end… so I simply had to write this.

And the reason why I didn't like Mockingjay? I feel like toward the end of the novel, Ms. Collins was deliberately trying to screw up Gale's character so his fans *cough me cough* would be okay with the Katniss/Peeta thing, so that they'd hate him. Well guess what? It only made me mad -.-

Set during Mockingjay.

She is not Catnip anymore.

There was always something about the vivaciousness in her gaze, something strong and almost defiant that was always present about her. She was independent, and beautiful in an unconventional way, at least she was to him. But now?

She is Katniss.

The life in her eyes is gone. She'll seem to be so close to recovering, so close to the girl he loves, but it is always gone so fast, it's never enough for Gale. She never gives him that smile anymore, the one full of happiness. Granted, he never got to see her beam that was very often, but when she did, he always smiled back. And it kills him to know that he'll never see it again.

That is, until he hears the news.

Apparently, other people have noticed the change in the girl. They see her sitting there miserably, but a shell of the person she once was. And they wanted to take action, do anything to make their Mockingjay seem as strong as possible.

They want Peeta.

They're going to be sending a small group of people to find him. They know it will improve Katniss's behavior, and Coin wants to be certain no one will think her an unkind or even cruel ruler. If she does not go through with this, Katniss will go insane, will accuse Coin of being a horrible person, and that just can't happen. After all, to her, that is all that matters.

Power.

To the woman, the mission is not for Peeta. The boy could die, for all she cares. No, she cares about how she looks to people. Because if anyone suspects that another dictatorship could be on the rising, they will cut her off, and oh no, Coin couldn't have that, could she? But to Gale, the mission is not for Peeta either.

It's for her.

He knows she'll be angry at him, but it's not like he cares. As soon as Peeta's back, she'll forget her temporary anger and lose herself in the bliss of being reunited with the boy she survived the arena with twice. Yes, he'll be embarking on a dangerous mission to save a boy he hardly knows, one he doesn't even like, and it's all for her.

Katniss.

Why is it that she's all he can think about when it's so clear that he isn't the one she thinks about? It just makes him want to die, when he watches her freeze at the mention of Peeta's name. Why couldn't Gale have gone in that arena with her, make her see how much she loves him?

Because she does.

She loves Gale, and he knows it. He knows she knows it, but she doesn't care whether it's true or not. She might love Gale, but she loves Peeta so much more, and somehow, it just doesn't seem fair to the young man. It really isn't fair to either of her suitors, and Gale isn't sure who deserves the young lady more.

At least Peeta loves her.

If Katniss had given her heart away to a boy that cared about her for the wrong reasons, Gale would have killed him. Literally. He would have torn apart that boy until there was nothing left, only a bunch of scattered limbs, and then he'd have smiled coldly, satisfied that he had learned his lesson and Katniss was safe.

But she doesn't love a guy that will treat her wrong, and it gives Gale no excuse.

He's so jealous of the boy with the bread. Of course, Peeta can never be Katniss's best friend, but what does it matter? He is her lover, something Gale has dreamed of since Darius offered to give Katniss a kiss, even jokingly.

It is so irrational.

Gale has always been logical, but he just blanks when he thinks of her. And, unfortunately, nowadays he's always thinking about her. So now he's losing his mind, going crazy for the girl who will never love him, who could never learn to love him unlike many of his other pursuers.

He could love someone else.

Time heals all wounds, and eventually, he will be able to see other people, see other girls that could be right for him. But right now, his heart is beating for her. His every emotion is caused because of her, his every dream with her in it, his every action done to show her how much he truly does care.

So he has to go.

He has to go for her. He wants to see the look on her face when she learns her lover is back, he wants to watch her lips pull back into that beautiful grin that makes Gale go insane. He has to go because Gale will do anything to see her smile.

Even die.

(A/N) Hm, this is rather short, I know, but I like it this way! Reviews are greatly appreciated :)