Disclaimer: All the credits belong to Suzanne Collins and, I don't take any payment for this story. This is just for entertainment. I don't own anything related to Hunger Games.
If I did, Finnick would still be alive.
1 – The Plan
"We run away."
"What?" he asks.
This has actually caught him off guard.
"We take to the woods and make a run for it," I say.
His face is impossible to read. Will he laugh at me, dismiss this as foolishness? I rise in agitation, preparing for an argument.
"You said yourself you thought that we could do it! That morning of the reaping. You said…"
He steps in and I feel myself lifted off the ground. The room spins, and I have to lock my arms around Gale's neck to brace myself. He's laughing, happy.
"Hey!" I protest, but I'm laughing, too.
Gale sets me down but doesn't release his hold on me.
"Okay, let's run away," he says.
"Really? You don't think I'm mad? You'll go with me?"
Some of the crushing weight begins to lift as it transfers to Gale's shoulders.
"I do think you're mad and I'll still go with you," he says.
He means it. Not only means it but welcomes it.
"We can do it. I know we can. Let's get out of here and never come back!"
"You're sure?" I say. "Because it's going to be hard, with the kids and all. I don't want to get five miles into the woods and have you…"
"I'm sure. I'm completely, entirely, one hundred percent sure."
He tilts his forehead down to rest against mine and pulls me closer. His skin, his whole being, radiates heat from being so near the fire, and I close my eyes, soaking in his warmth. I breathe in the smell of snow-dampened leather and smoke and apples, the smell of all those wintry days we shared before the Games. I don't try to move away. Why should I, anyway? His voice drops to a whisper.
"I love you."
That simple phrase, whispered with such sincerity and conviction, shocks me and, I walk away from his embrace.
I mean, it's not like I never had thought about it. There were moments in the arena that I felt like betraying Gale for kissing Peeta but, I was so confused, desperate and anxious at that time; I simply couldn't figure out why I was feeling that way. Then, there was the sudden kiss on that Sunday so many weeks ago that he hadn't mentioned once and, me trying to understand if I liked it or not.
All that confusion and indecision meant only one thing, right?
"I… I think… I…"
It was always so difficult to me to put words to my feelings. I look at him and, his expression had changed. He's drifting away and, I can't tolerate that. He's my rock; I need him, I need my best friend to support me and, guide me. We're strong together and, we can protect those we love.
And I know what I have to do to guarantee his presence by my side. Somehow, I always knew this moment would come. Besides, it doesn't matter, anyway, because I found out what I was feeling and, won't allow myself to back away in my resolve. I pretty much can say it out loud.
"I love you, too."
As soon as the words come out of my mouth, my eyes automatically turn up, looking for something else in the trees above us, anything else other than his face. I can't look at him right now; it makes me inexplicably uncomfortable.
He reaches for me, a blindly smile showing his white teeth but, I don't give space for physical contact, jumping into planning.
"First, we have to come up with an evasion plan; we can't just simply live in the woods now that I'm a target. They'll search the forest as soon as they discover our escape," I tell him.
"What we're going to do, then? I don't know where else to go," he asks, his forehead wrinkled, obviously searching for an alternative.
That's when a wild idea pops up in my mind.
"District 8. I saw that there's a major situation out there in the Mayor's television when I went to visit Magde. They're fighting the Capitol; it's an uprising."
His face lights up immediately.
"An uprising? You're sure?"
"At least, it was what I thought I was seeing, I'm not absolutely sure."
"And they're fighting? But, that means there would be a lot more surveillance there. We can be caught," Gale cogitates.
"But, you see, that's why it's perfect. They'd never think you'll go there because they'd believe you're going to be too afraid to face a revolution," I clarify.
"Once there, as soon as we settle our families down, we can join the fight!" he muses, his gray eyes full of fire, almost lost in awe.
I panic. This never crossed my mind. I don't want to fight. I want to run away from them, not run into their arms.
"No, Gale. We can't. Think about our families, Gale. They need us, we have to protect them, we have to hide. Promise me we'd hide," I beg, desperately.
Tears rolls down my cheeks, following my pleas. This seems to wake him up of his day dream.
"Katniss, don't. You don't have to be afraid. You said yourself, we're strong together. We can help the uprising. That's why President Snow keeps threatening you; he's afraid of what you represent. You're strong. You're the one that inspired them. You're their symbol," he incites me, ardently, taking my hands.
"I don't want to be anybody symbol. I didn't ask to be part of this mess. All I tried to do was get out that damn arena alive," I snap, pushing his hands away and, drying my cheeks with the back of my hands, angrily.
"Okay, we talk about it when we get there. If we get there," he replies, grumpily, making a point to show his frustration. "I'll have to talk to my mother. She won't accept it easily."
"Yes, I know. Mine will have to come. She owns me that much," I say, firmly but, I'm not so sure about that and, he must have seen my hesitation.
"She'll agree. We watched too many of your Games together. She knows how far the Capitol can go," affirms Gale.
"Yeah, I think so. My main concern is Haymitch," I consider, speaking more to myself than him.
"Haymitch?" repeats Gale.
His eyes show a sudden realization and, his face darkening instantly. He tries to hide it, turning his back to me and, facing the fire but, it's too late. I saw it.
"No," he growls.
"What?" I ask, astonished. "What are you talking about?"
"No, he won't come with us, Katniss. It's just us; you, me and our families. No one else."
No one else. That's what this is about. He's not talking only about my old mentor.
"They'll come after me, don't you understand?" I try to reason with him.
"Exactly," agrees Gale, turning to me again. "Not after him, after you. And they'll see you're not there and, go look some place else."
"But, Gale…"
"Katniss, be rational. We can't afford to drag that old drunk man with us. It's bad enough we have to take our mothers and, the kids. We won't last two days," he explains, coldly.
"You're underestimating him. He can take care of himself. He was a victor!" I yell, enraged.
"Twenty five years ago. Now, he'll be just dead weight. Think about our families. Think about Prim."
That's a low blow; throwing my words back at me like that and, on top of it, referring specifically to my sister.
But, he got a point. The Capitol will come after me and, Haymitch is pretty capable of riding himself of any dangerous situation with his mask of alcoholic inconsequence. And he'll protect Peeta, too, I'm sure of it. They'll be safe by their own ignorance.
No one will suspect sweet, lovesick Peeta. He's so smart when it comes to television behavior, as Effie says. He'll pose as the poor abandoned guy and, all Panem will feel sorry for him, turning their disgust at me.
A cold resolve takes my mind. I have to do this. It'll better for everyone. I always thought that it wouldn't be any good for Peeta to love me. I know abandoning him would break his heart deeply enough for him to forget about me.
The pain expressed in his face when he found out that I was acting my love for him in the arena crossed my mind, making my body shiver but, I push the image away. There's no point on regretting it now.
"You're right. No one else, just us," I whisper, my voice sounding trembled.
"I'm sorry, Catnip, it's just how it have to be. It was always just us, anyway," says Gale, squeezing my shoulder, affectionately.
His reassuring touch doesn't ease the ache on my heart and, the pounding of my head, though. I search inside me, trying to understand why this so rational decision feels so wrong. I find nothing, only the pure desire to save our lives. And I hope that's enough to make me live with what we're doing.
"Meet me at our spot in the fence by midnight," instructs Gale, kissing my forehead. "Take only the absolutely necessary. That means you have to leave the goat behind."
"I know."
We take off to our houses. There are a lot of things to do before our meeting. It's happening. We're leaving District Twelve and, everything on it forever.
Everything and everyone.
A/N: Italics is what I literally took from Catching Fire.
This idea has been playing around my head since I read Catching Fire and, I think it's a good story to tell.
Before someone bring it up, I don't hate Gale – I just think like, really, who wants a Gale when you can have a Peeta – and, I'm not trying to make him a villain. But, I do think he would do anything in his power to separate Katniss and Peeta. He wants for himself, after all.
And I think Katniss did fall in love with Peeta during the Games, she was just too confused, too scared and, too naïve to realize it. Does anyone agree with me?
I hope you like the story. Can you please tell me in a review? I'll be the happiest author in this fandom.