Marriage to Gale was never something she wanted, but had seemed inevitable to keep their families alive. Until the Capitol in their unending "kindness" decide to remove all married couples and single women from District 12, marrying them off & assimilating them to other Districts. Suddenly without her mother and sister, Katniss finds herself married in the Capitol, to a kind baker she can't help but like.
I do not own Hunger Games.
Standing on her back porch lost in thought was a dark haired Everdeen was many things. Huntress, primary caretaker, hard headed, poor. Happy would never be on that list, she would have to settle for satisfied. When her father died in a mine explosion six years ago, he had unknowingly thrust her into a future marriage with a fellow coal miner's son, Gale Hawthorne. His father had died in the same explosion that took her father, and the two joined forces to support their families. Katniss had only Prim and her mother Dahlia. Gale, however, had his pregnant mother Hazel as well as his two brothers Vick and Rory.
She had unequaled skill with a bow and arrow, while he was amazing at snares and traps. Between the two of them, not only was food on the table, but the children had begun filling out slightly, a sign they were getting more than enough to eat. It didn't matter to her that she ate less than the growing children, nor did it matter that at seventeen years old, she was just beginning to get the curves her fourteen year old sister already had.
"Hey Catnip, what's going on in that brain?" She jumped at the unexpected voice behind her. Rarely was anyone ever sneak up on her, so she knew immediately who it was. She glanced behind her at Gale. At nineteen years old, he had changed drastically from the boy she had met six years ago. He had grown taller, towering over her. He was thin for a boy his size, but even so, his chest had broadened and hardened with muscle from the hard mine work. His dark hair was cut short and his grey eyes were piercing, much like her own were often described. In the depths she could see the weight of the world, a burden she carried as well.
"Just thinking about the future." Her words were vague and thought provoking for the both of them. When her father died and her mother retreated into herself, Katniss had decided she would never get married or have children. She could not let herself love someone so much that the loss of them, inevitable in District Twelve, would slowly destroy her as well. She loved Gale but she could live without him. It was a different kind of love than she knew he felt for her. She would constantly catch him giving her lovelorn looks when he thought she was not looking. She would never love him like that, she only hoped he never grew to resent her.
"What about the future?" The warm voice was suddenly thick and subdued. Though she knew they would end up married out of necessity, she had never spoken the words out loud to her hunting partner. She thought about the first time she had met him, a scrawny thirteen year old boy. She had mumbled her name so quietly that he thought she said Catnip, and the name stuck.
"Marriage. I've known for a while we'll end up married Gale. Our families depend on us to care for them, and combining households just make sense. Why should we continue to wait?" She watched his face carefully, trying to read what he was struggling to conceal.
"So, marrying me would just be for convenience? No other reason?" It was a valid question that she found herself hesitating to answer. She could be honest with him or she could lie. If she lied, she knew he would expect affection from her that would never come naturally or easily. Could she live the rest of her life forcing herself to be a dutiful wife? She allowed herself to sigh before she answered.
"No other reason Gale. You know how I feel about you." His eyes narrowed as she spoke, his cheeks flooding red with anger. Gale was her best friend, but she would be the first one to admit he had a temper like none other. It did not take much to set him off.
"No Katniss, why don't you enlighten me about how you feel? I thought if I ever got married, it would be because of love! And damn it, I love you!" He was breathing heavily as Katniss used the porch rail to hold herself up, pale and slightly shaken.
"I think of you as my hunting partner, my best friend. I don't think of you in a romantic way. No actually, I can't think of you that way." She finished while staring Gale directly in the eye so he could see the truth in her eyes.
"Then I can't marry you. I won't be bound to someone who cannot love me." She felt as though she had been punched in the stomach. She had not imagined Gale would not marry her if she did not proclaim to love him.
"I do love you Gale, just not in the way you want me to. Isn't that enough?" He was shaking his head before she even finished.
"No, it's not. I'm sorry." He stormed away angrily and Katniss just shrugged. She knew he would be back. He always came back after a fight. He would not leave her family to starve along with his, just so he could have a chance at love.
"Katniss! Katniss! Come quickly!" Primrose was the reason her sister was still alive. Without needing to care for Prim, she probably would have curled into a tight ball when she was starving and died right there. Katniss could not get to the living room fast enough to reach her panicked sister. She entered the room slightly out of breath. Her blonde haired sister, her mother's doppelganger, stood staring at the TV that was steadily beeping, wording flashing across the screen.
"Mandatory Meeting in the Square at two this afternoon - anyone not in the Square will be executed." Katniss read the words slowly, a feeling of dread flooding her stomach. The last time they had gathered everyone in the Square it had been due to talk of rebellion. The entire district watched in horror as men suspected of being in the rebellion were lined up and made to watch their wives, children and siblings receive a single shot to the head, killing them instantly. Then they themselves were executed. It was meant to be a warning, and it had worked. The grumblings of injustice and longings for freedom were still around, but said much quieter and out of earshot of any Peacekeeper that could possibly overhear.
Two o'clock came faster than Katniss would have liked. She held Prim's hand tightly as they stood in the crowd, listening to the confusion buzzing around them. Their mother stood behind them, a hand on each daughter. Once upon a time, Dahlia Everdeen had been beautiful. But the loss of her husband turned her thick blonde hair dull, and her blue eyes lost their sparkle. Her clothes hung limply on her thin frame. She was a ghost of her former self. It had been years since she had smiled or laughed, and she found that she no longer longed for the sound of it. She would never again trust her mother to actually be a mother. She had not given birth to Prim, but she was all the mother she needed. She broke out of her thoughts as an odd sight moved onto the stage.
"Hello, Hello. My name is Effie Trinkett. I am the District Twelve Capitol liaison. I am here at the request of President Coriolanus Snow, the illustrious president of Panem. It has come to our attention that population here in Twelve is dwindling. Those children that are born are not healthy, and many do not survive into adulthood. Our top scientists believe this is due to the dust of the coal mines." Katniss could not help but scoff at her words. Everyone who lived in Twelve knew it was starvation that killed children and adults alike. It was never listed as official cause of death though. For that, they called it an undiagnosed illness. She looked at Effie thoughtfully, deciding for the first time that she would rather have been raised in Twelve than the Capitol, if that was normal every day fashion. On her head was an obvious wig of tight blue curls. Her face was paper white, with the exception of her blue lips. Her dress was blue as well, and for some odd reason, her shoes were black. She reminded Katniss of a bruise. She tuned back in to the words being spoken.
"President Snow has met with top advisers and scientists to find a solution to the problem, and we believe the perfect answer has been found! Married couples and their children, aged sixteen and under, will be moved from District Twelve to Districts Nine, Ten and Eleven. You will be given new homes, new provisions and new jobs. Your children will be schooled during school months and will work during the summer months. All we require from you is district pride and a total of three children. If you already have three children, we will not ask you to produce more." Prim and Katniss exchanged looks, confusion clearly etched on their features. Dahlia tightened her grip on her daughters.
"We know District Twelve has many widows from mine related issues and we want to make this up to you. Widows and their children, aged sixteen and under, will be moved to Districts Five, Six and Seven. You will be assigned new living quarters and jobs to provide not only your families but your district as well. We hope you will find happiness in your new district, and should you decide to remarry, you will be expected to provide your district with at least one living child. Should you be able to provide three living children to your district, you will receive a monetary reward." Dahlia's grip was now so tight, Katniss felt her shoulder going numb. It did not matter though, she was already numb. Her mother was a widow from the mines. She would be transferred to another district, along with Prim. But Katniss would not be going with them, she was over the cut off age. The sense of fear from earlier only multiplied, and she found herself searching for Gale in the crowd. She found him easily enough, huddled with his family. Hazel had tears falling from her eyes. Posy, the last child from her husband, was clinging to Gale. He did not spare a glance her way.
"Single females with no children aged seventeen and over, will be assigned a new job in District One, Two, Three and Four. This new job is more than that however. The Capitol has gone to the trouble of assigning you to a job where a future husband awaits you. In your lifetime you will be expected to provide your district with at least two living children to take over the trade you are assigned to. As you know, contact between the districts is prohibited. This will be goodbye." She could scarcely breathe, and tears blurred her vision. Prim was her entire world and now the Capitol was ripping them apart. But Effie was not done.
"Single males, aged seventeen and over, will stay here in Twelve until their twenty-first birthday, working in the mines. Anyone already over twenty one will remain here permanently. You may apply to leave the district for marriage, but understand, only the most desirable genes will be allowed to leave. Single females, aged seventeen and over with children, you will also stay behind. You will be assigned a job here in the district. Two females from this District have been chosen for the honor of moving to the Capitol, and will need to report to me immediately. Katniss Everdeen and Madge Undersee." She finished speaking and moved off the stage, waiting for the two to join her. Katniss heard the buzzing around her. Some women sobbed loudly at losing their oldest children, while others wept silently at leaving their lovers. Katniss felt nothing. She was being moved to the one place she had never wanted to go.
"Katniss! What's going to happen? They're splitting us up!" Prim was frantic, her eyes wild and wide. Katniss quickly knelt in front of her sisters, as Peacekeepers began shouting her name. They were actively looking for her, to bring her to Effie.
"I'll find a way to contact you Prim. I'll find you. I promise!" her shoulder was yanked hard and she found herself being pulled through the crowd towards the stage. She managed to twist around long enough to find Gale's shocked face staring at her from a few feet away.
"Katniss! Be safe! And remember – I…" She could not hear the rest of what he said before she was suddenly in front of Effie, who had a wide grin on her face. What did Gale want her to remember?
"Delightful, you're both here! Oh I can't tell you how exciting this is! Nobody has ever been able to move from a district to the Capitol before." Katniss snuck a glance at Madge, the mayor's daughter. Her blonde hair was pulled back from her face, the gold accentuated by her white dress. She was pale, biting her lip thoughtfully. She gave Katniss a weak smile.
"Ms. Katniss Everdeen. You have been assigned to the Capitol Bakery, Mellark's. It serves all of the Capitol and is currently run by the baker and his wife. They have three sons, though two of them are no longer in the picture. One has married and moved to the wife's trade while the second has joined the Peacekeepers. The baker jumped at the chance to participate in this project. His son Peeta is to be your husband. Now, we must get you off to a stylist. You must be cleaned up before you get to the Capitol! You are not fit to be seen like this!" She found herself surrounded by Peacekeepers ushering her to the train station, without giving her a chance to say goodbye. All she could think about was losing Prim, and how much she already hated the baker and his family.