"HER NAME WAS KATNISS"

A/N- Heylo! This be me: theeShadyLady! This story is a Prequel to my story, "I Will Never Say Goodbye". And it is written from Gale's POV. Hope you like.

((Disclaimers are at the end of the chapter in a second A/N.))

CHAPTER 1: "A Friend of Mine"

Got someone special in my life,

Everyone thinks she'd make a great wife.

I walk over to her house, and knock on the door. I hear her yell something that sounds like, 'Just a minute.' So, I sit down on the front steps next to the door and wait. After about twenty minutes, I get up to knock on the door again.

But before I can, she cautiously opens up the door and steps outside. I take a moment to just look at her. She is wearing a strapless purple dress and her hair spirals and twists in the wind. And she looks more amazing than ever. "Hi, Gale," she says sweetly.

But it's way too soon to be talking 'bout rings,

Don't wanna rush into anything.

As we walk, it starts to get dark. And soon she begins to shiver. So, I take off my jacket and drape it over her shoulders. "You should have brought a jacket," I say teasingly.

"I knew you'd take care of me." She smiles at me, then asks, "Soo, where are you taking me for our first date?"

"It's a surprise," a smile back at her.

She grabs my arm playfully. "Tell me, Gale. Pleeease," she begs.

"Nope. You'll just have to wait and see." I nudge her with my arm.

She's getting over someone too,

Kinda like me and you.

"Close your eyes," I say when we start getting close. And she does.

When we get to the restaurant, I open the door and let go of her hand, "Okay, you can open them now."

"Oh! I love this place!" She exclaims.

"Yeah?" I say, "Wait... you've been here before? But it just opened a few days ago."

"Well, my ex-boyfriend's uncle is the owner... So, he let us come over a lot, to sample menu items and things like that."

And she talks about him every once in a while,

And I just nod my head and smile.

"Oh... Well, we should probably check on our reservations." She nods and we go inside. Even though the server seems annoyed at how late we are, we are still seated right away. After we order, she has the look on her face that tells me she has something on her mind.

"So, did you have a good time yesterday?" I ask her.

"Yes! Your mother is so nice! And your sister, I just love her to death. She is just the sweetest thing ever!"

"They all really liked you, too." I laugh to myself, as I think about the way Posy rambled on about her, after she left. Posy wouldn't quit chattering about, how my girlfriend is sooo pretty and sooo nice.

"It's so funny, little kids seem to really like me, for some reason. My ex's two little sisters used to love it when I came over."

"Oh?" A nod, mainly because I am not quite sure how to reply.

'Cause I know exactly what she's going through,

Yeah, I've been there too.

"Yeah, I used to take them shopping and I'd buy them all sorts of things. Sometimes, I'd even let them stay over at my house, when their parents were out and they'd play with my sister." Something seems to light up in her eyes as she talks of her past.

"I used to do something like that with... a friend of mine."

"He and I used to do everything together." She ignores my comment, and I unintentionally do the same. And end up only hearing one other thing she says "...then for no reason, he left me—for some girl that he had just met." I close my eyes as she continues to speak, losing myself in distant memories. But, I am pulled back to reality when she finally changes the subject. "Anyways..." she smiles sweetly at me, "what was your friend's name, Gale?"

And when the conversation turns to you,

"Her name was... Katniss."

I get caught, and you were the only one for me

Kinda thought. And your face is all that I see.

Katniss? ...As in The Girl on Fire? That Katniss?

My breath catches every time she says her name. "I can't do this." I manage to choke out as too many of images of Katniss flood into my mind.

"What? What did I do, Gale?" she pauses. Then looks away sadly, "You love her."

"Of course I do! How can I not?" A rush of words fall out of my mouth, before I can even think about what I am saying or how she'd feel. "She was perfect. She made me whole, even when she was broken... Her name was Katniss... and she was mine." I realize, I have stood up during my speech and am gripping the table. I let go and sit back down.

"It's okay, Gale. I understand," she says sadly. But that, for some reason pushes me to my limit.

Before she can continue to speak, I jump to my feet. I don't want to listen anymore; I don't want to even look at her. Part of me wants to feels bad, but the rest of me crushes that guilt with the pain and confusion I feel inside. "I have to go." I don't say good bye, and I don't pay attention as I knock thing over and crash into various people on my way towards the door.

I run, heading straight home. I feel frozen, because I forgot my jacket. But, it doesn't matter, I don't care. I run blindly. My blindness is half from the darkness and half because I keep shaking my head, trying to get Katniss out of my mind. I run faster—pushing myself harder than ever. I want to get home. I need to get home.

I know I can't go back, but I still go back.

I slam the door shut and run up the stairs to my room, ignoring the look Posy gives me. I shut the door, but have trouble with the lock. When I turn around, I catch a glimpse of someone in the window. As I walk up to it, to look out, I jump back—nearly falling over. Because it's her... it's Katniss. I shake my head and she's gone; it's just my reflection. I realize she wasn't really there. You're losing it, Gale. Snap out of it. But, I can't.

I am sick of trying to stay calm; I am tired of faking happiness. So, I give in and completely lose control of myself. I scream and I yell; I tear all the pictures off of my walls and knock over my dresser; I kick my side table over and throw anything that is within my reach at the wall. The angrier I get, the more I think of her. Finally, feeling completely defeated, I give up. I have destroyed everything. I slide down the wall and sit on the floor putting my elbows on my knees and my face in my hands. I close my eyes, but it doesn't matter. Her smile is still fresh in my memory, and her voice echoes in my mind. And I realize that no matter what I do, no matter where I look, all I'll ever be able to see is her...

Her name was Katniss... and she was mine.

~theeShadyLady~

A/N- This is what I believe is actually happening around the time Katniss says that Gale is off "kissing another pair of lips." (She says that at the end of Mockingjay.) Hope you like. I'd much appreciate Reviews, they are quite fun.

DISCLAIMERS: I do not own "The Hunger Games" (written by Suzanne Collins.)

I do not own "Every Time I Hear Your Name" (written and sung by Keith Anderson.)