So, I was going through my news feed and I saw a status that said that Gale probably died, since he never visited Katniss in District 12. And so, I came up with this HC(: ENJOY! ~Twill

Just another regular day. Katniss is outside with the kids. I'm inside, baking a cake for Madge's 4th birthday. It's supposed to be a surprise, but she probably already found out. Oh well. There's a knock at the door and I quickly rush to answer it. I look through the little hole and am surprised to see a man there. Tall, with dark brown hair and blue eyes. Opening the door just a crack, I say, "Yes?"

"Is Katniss Everdeen available?" He pauses. "Oh, I'm sorry, Katniss Mellark?"

"What for?" I ask.

"I have some very distressing news." Distressing news? What could he be talking about?

"About what?"

"This information is for Katniss Ever-Mellark," he corrects himself.

Raising an eyebrow, I say, "I happen to be her husband. Anything you have to say to her, you can tell me."

He looks around uncomfortably, but then surrenders. "It's about her friend, Gale Hawthorne."

I feel my eyes narrow. I like him and all, but considering he once fought for Katniss with me, I don't exactly trust him. "Does he want her to go visit him?"

"Not exactly," he says, looking even more uncomfortable. "The thing is," he pauses. "Mr. Hawthorne has passed away."

I stare at him incredulously before exclaiming "What?! But how?"

"His wife also passed away a few weeks ago, from a horrible illness. Mr. Hawthorne, it appears, lost his will to live." I stare at him, my mind racing. But Gale had always been a fighter. When he lost Katniss, he left. But Katniss just wasn't the one for him. Perhaps he had found the one he couldn't live without. But there was just one thing.

"Did they have children?" My abrupt question seemed to startle him.

"Um, no, not that I know of." Now I could see. With no children, there was nothing left for him.

"Thank you. But Katniss must not hear about this. Katniss must think he is alive and well." Although I knew Katniss did not love him, he was still her best friend. I don't know what would happen to her if she knew. She's been through enough deaths in this lifetime.

"But-"

"She's been through enough," I say. "Leave her be."

He nods and leaves the house. I hear a door slam. "Peeta?" It's Katniss. "Who was that?"

"Oh, no one," I say, trying to keep my face cheery. I will take this secret to the grave. Katniss will never know of Gale's death.