Coming Home

Twenty three year old Sergeant Katniss Everdeen hasn't been to her home town of District 12 Oregon in three years. At age eighteen she joined the army and became one of the best snipers there is today. Today she was on a flight home with her best friend Johanna Mason, Johanna is a year older than her, they are the in the same unit while in Iraq, they have saved each other's lives' countless times. She was nervous as hell; the last time she was home was when her best friend and fiancé Gale Hawthorne had proposed to her. He was a year older than her, they meet when she was twelve years old and he was thirteen while in the woods hunting, they had been best friends since, he joined the army a year before she did, after she joined and went through basic training they had somehow ended up in the same unit together, and shortly after had begun dating. When their first sergeant figured it out he had Gale moved to another unit, they both were deployed to Iraq at the same time. Even thought they were in a war they still got to see each other while on base, even if it was only for a night. It wasn't the best circumstances to have a relationship but that didn't matter to them. They both had been able to come home on leave three years ago when he proposed to her in the woods were they first meet, and she excepted right away. It was six months later when they both were back in Iraq; both of their units were in the field at the same time and only a couple of miles away from each other. She was on a rooftop doing her sniper thing with Johanna and another guy named Marvel. The battle escalated pretty quickly and shots were being fired at them, Johanna and Marvel tired their best to get the shooters and cover Katniss but Marvel was hit in the head and went down, distracted by the death of her team mate she didn't notice the enemy sniper she had been watching aim at her, she heard the shot and then felt intense pain in her left shoulder. Johanna pressed her hand on the wound and called for back-up which happened to be Gale's unit. She had passed out before the backup had come, the next thing she knew she was waking up in the hospital at the base.

Johanna was sitting next to her bed, she didn't seem to be injured but her face was full of guilt and sadness, when she saw Katniss awake she gave a weak smile and said "How ya fellin brainless?"

Katniss smiled and said "I'm glad you're okay to Mason. My shoulder hurts like hell, but other than that I'm fine".

"That's good, I uh have something that I need to tell you Katniss" whenever Johanna used her first name it usually meant something bad happened.

"What it is Johanna?" Katniss asked worried.

"It's Gale, his Humvee was hit by a road side bomb when they were coming as backup, they brought him back here for immediate surgery …. Katniss he didn't make it, he died in surgery".

Katniss just stared at her Gale couldn't die he wouldn't leave her "No your lying, Gale can't die your lying Johanna" but she knew she wasn't Johanna wouldn't lie about something like that Katniss had tears running down her face and they quickly turned into uncontrollable sobs, Johanna stood up and sat on the bed gently she pulled Katniss into her arms and held her as she grieved for her dead fiancé.

Katniss refused to go home on medical leave, she couldn't bear to see him lowered into the ground so she stayed on base and never went back home, she refused to take leave. But her first sergeant Haymitch Abernathy told her that she had to go home she couldn't keep declining leave, which is why she's on a plane with Johanna on her way home for four months. Abernathy had forced Johanna to take leave also so she decided rather than going home to her anti-military family she would go with Katniss.

"Hey brainless snap out of it were getting ready to land" Johanna said breaking her out of her thoughts.

Katniss shook her head and said "I can't believe I let you talk me into coming here".

"It was time for you to come home brainless, your family has missed you, and besides I'll be here the entire time, plus I'd rather come here than go to my family and listen how wrong the military is and a whole bunch of other bull shit".

The plane landed twenty minutes later, Johanna and Katniss grabbed their back packs and left the plane, they were supposed to meet her little sister Prim and her boyfriend Rory at the baggage claim. Rory was Gale's little brother and practically a mini Gale, except their personalities were different, she wasn't sure if she was ready to see Gale's family. Prim was nineteen and going to college to become a doctor, Prim and Katniss were complete opposites in looks and personalities, Katniss was cold and stubborn, while Prim is sweet and caring, and can make friends with anyone. Together Katniss and Johanna headed towards the baggage claim, they got stopped five time so people could say thank you; they were still in their uniforms. They had just gotten to the baggage claim when she heard someone yell "Katniss". Katniss looked up just in time to see her little sister running at her full speed, Prim tackled Katniss into a hug that sent both of them falling to the floor. Johanna was holding her stomach laughing, even though everyone was staring at her she didn't care she too was laughing she had missed her sister so much. Eventually Prim let go and stood up pulling Katniss with her.

"Oh my God Katniss I've missed you so much, I'm so glad your home" Prim said in a hurry.

Katniss smiled and said "I missed you to Prim and I'm glad to be home". Rory was standing behind Prim with his hands in his pockets, he looked just like Gale. She smiled at him and said "Hello Rory".

Rory smiled at her came towards her to hug her, his arms and were different from Gale's and he didn't smell the same "It's nice to see you again Katniss".

Once they pulled away Katniss introduced Johanna, "Prim, Rory this is my friend Johanna were in the same unit. Johanna this is my sister Prim and her boyfriend Rory" she shuck both of their hands and said "Nice to meet you" but Katniss could tell that Johanna made the connection between Rory and Gale since they looked so much alike.

Johanna and Katniss grabbed their bags and followed Prim and Rory to the car, Johanna whispered in her ear, "That's his brother isn't he". Katniss nodded her head and Johanna gave her a sympathetic smile and pat on the shoulder. To strangers Johanna seemed like a bitch but she really was a sweet heart once you got to know her, she and Katniss were a lot alike, they only cared for the people they loved, and would do anything to protect her. Johanna always gave smart and sarcastic comments it's who she is. Once in the car with Katniss and Johanna in the back they headed towards District 12 which was a small town located in the woods, it was a two hour drive from the airport. They talked about how Prim was doing in school, and that Rory was also in school to become a teacher. Prim also told her about the latest gossip in town Katniss zoned out for most of the gossip but when she mentioned the baker's son Peeta Mellark, she whipped her head around and listened. Apparently he had been at college to become a chef but when his father had a heart attack he came home to help out and run the bakery, his parents were retiring in a couple of months and moving to another town to be closer to their grandkids and Mr. Mellark's doctors.

Peeta Mellark was the same age as her they were in the same classes at school. She never really knew him but when they were eleven he saved her life. Her father had just died in a car accident, they were running out of money so Katniss was trying to sell old baby clothes when she collapsed behind the bakery leaning against a tree, he came out with a couple of burnt loaves of bread that was meant for the pigs but instead he walked to her in the pouring down rain and handed her the bread. "Take it, you need it more than the pigs do" he pushed the bread into her arms and then turned around and went back inside. The next day at school when she saw a dandelion forming she remembered she could go to the woods and hunt like her father taught her.

Johanna nudged her in the side giving her a questioning look, "What's wrong you were zooning out for like ten minutes brainless?"

Katniss shook her head and said "Nothing just tired is all", Johanna gave her a questioning look but didn't question her any further. They were getting close to District 12, her heart started beating faster, was she really prepared for this, all of the memories she had with Gale were here. She took a deep breath and said in her head 'I can do this, I am one of the best snipers in the U.S. Army I can do this'. When they pulled into the town it looked exactly the same as when she was last here, some of the buildings were painted but the same, they passed the bakery but she couldn't see anyone inside, she wondered if he was in there. They headed towards the small house that Katniss had helped her mother buy a couple of years ago, it was far better than the house they grew up in it was falling apart. Katniss had an apartment above one of the local shops and that's where she and Johanna would be staying her mother's house was to small, but they had to go to her mom's house first in order to get her car and house keys, Prim would go and check on it once a month for her. They pulled up in front of the house; her mother was standing on the porch waiting. When she saw the car she rushed down the steps and meet Katniss in the yard. She had tears running down her face when she pulled her into a hug, Katniss didn't have a great relationship with her mother after her father died, she grew extremely depressed and wouldn't work forcing Katniss to be the head of the family. But after Gale died they talked on the phone all the time and reformed their relationship. They stood their hugging for at least five minutes before her mother pulled away she had tears running down her face still but she was smiling, Katniss had tears in her eyes but she refused to let them fall.

"I'm so glad your home, I've missed you so much Katniss" her mother said.

"I missed you to mom. Oh yeah mom this is my friend Johanna Mason. Johanna this is my mother Evelyn Everdeen".

Johanna stepped forward and shook her hand "It's nice to meet you Mrs. Everdeen".

"Nice to meet you to, now all of you come inside I've got dinner ready, I made all of your favorites Katniss" her mother said turning to go in the house.

Katniss smile and followed Johanna to the car to grab their bags. "Here catch brainless" Johanna threw her bag at her hitting her in the chest "Ooof" she glared at Johanna but she just laughed. They followed Prim and Rory into the house they sat their bags down by the door and went inside the food smelt amazing.

"Oh my God real home cooked food, haven't had that in almost a year" Johanna said.

The table was already set so they all sat down; her mother had made lamb stew with dried plums, along with a stuffed turkey with yams, and mashed potatoes with gravy, everything tasted amazing. They sat at the table eating and laughing, no one ever brought up Gale much to her relief, but her mother had planned for a barbeque with the Hawthorne's for this weekend, that meant seeing all of Gales siblings and mother. After dinner her mother brought out the most beautiful cake she had ever seen.

"Peeta made it for you didn't even charge us saying it was a gift because a local hero was coming home" Prim said.

Katniss just stared at it why would he give them an expensive cake like this for free. The cake was so beautiful that Katniss didn't want to eat it, but Johanna didn't care and dug right in, eventually Katniss ate some to, it tasted amazing. After desert they all sat in the living room talking, Prim had warmed up to Johanna and so had Rory they were used to her sarcastic nature now, her mother not so much. At ten Johanna and Katniss decided to head to her apartment they had been flying since yesterday and sleeping in an airport and on a plane was not fun or comfortable. Katniss got her car keys and apartment keys from her sister said good bye to everyone and headed towards her truck. It was a black 1999 Toyota Tacoma; she had bought it right after she joined the army, they threw their bags in the bed and got in. Johanna turned on the radio but when country came on she said "Who listens to this crap, I'm going to find some real music", Katniss just laughed and listened until Johanna finally found the rock station. She headed towards her two bedroom apartment that was above Greasy Sae's restaurant, Katniss had the cable and internet turned back on a week ago when she was forced to come home. She parked behind the building and grabbed her bags leading Johanna inside, there were only four apartments in the building which was nice, once upstairs her's was to the left, she had just gotten her keys out and getting ready to open the door when someone spoke from behind her.

"Katniss is that you?" She knew that voice, she dropped her keys and spun around, standing in front of her with his sparkling blue eyes and blonde hair that just feel into his eyes and broad shoulders was Peeta Mellark.