Ok, so if you have been following my other story the Boy from the Woods then you know I haven't updated since summer. I am sincerely sorry about that. I've been busy with my own stories and schools started up again for me. For that story I not only ran out of ideas, but I had no inspiration to continue the story. I'm hoping that I do eventually update it, but I can't be sure at the moment. If you were following that story I'm extremely sorry, but I have thought of a new story and that's the one I'll be starting now.
In this story it an AU. What if Gale won The 72nd Hunger Games? He would've mentored Katniss through the 74th and 75th. Read this and you'll see how things would be different. Gale is 18 he was 16 when he won. Katniss is 16. SO ages are pretty much the same.
I am not the amazing Suzanna Collins; I do not own The Hunger Games, or any of its characters.
Thank you if you've still stayed with me please enjoy.
I've been through Hell.
Chapter 1
Gale's POV
Haymitch says the nightmares never go away. He's right. It's been two years and I still have them. Every night I have to relive my games, and that's something I never want to do again. I still hear the screams, and what's worse is I'm the one who caused them.
I wake up sweating and see the light streaming in through the window. I can't go hunting today because it's the reaping and they'll want to interview Haymitch and I. Hunting is the only thing that can really take my mind off all the things that haunt me now. It's harder to kill animals, now, but I'd rather kill them than people.
I offered Katniss half of my money when I came back, but she's too damn proud to except it. I still insist on giving the game that I catch now that my family buys the butchers meat from town. Although, I still think the fresh game is better.
I slowly get out of my bed and take a quick shower. I get dressed in black pants and a white button up shirt. I refuse to get dressed up for reapings. I walk downstairs to see my brothers awake at the table arguing with each other about something.
"You need to wake Haymitch up. Mom told us to remind you." Vick says while eating an apple. I ruffle his hair and say,
"Thanks. Where is mom anyway?"
"Getting Posy ready." Rory announces. I nod and walk out of my home in the Victors Village. I'd rather be in the one in the Seam, but where here instead. Hey, at least we still get to keep it. I walk to the house on the right of mine and knock twice. No answer. I sigh and open the unlocked door.
When I first entered Haymitch's house there was things everywhere, and it smelled horrible. But my mother's been offering to clean it for awhile now, and he finally accepted so it's actually pretty clean now. I walk into the kitchen to find Haymitch passed out on the floor with bottles surrounding him. I nudge him with my foot,
"Haymitch! Come on, you told me to wake you." He lets out a loud snore, but does nothing. I groan and kick the knife he sleeps with out of his hand. I pick up a bottle off of the ground and smash it in the sink. The crashing noise sends him upright while muttering threats and obscenities under his breath. Slashing out the hand that no longer has a knife in it.
"What..? Oh, it's just you." He says getting up and finding his knife on the other side of the room. "What broke?" He asks sitting on a wooden chair at his kitchen table.
"Smashed a bottle in your sink." I say shrugging.
Haymitch scowls, "You'll be cleaning that up." I roll my eyes. I have become closer to Haymitch over the years. He did help me win I owe him a lot. In a way he's like the drunken uncle I've never had. I walk toward the door and say before leaving,
"You have two hours. Don't fall asleep again."
I hate reporters. They're all idiots from the Capitol. They ask maybe one question about the reaping, but all others are stupid.
"Who do you think might get picked this year?" One man with hair sticking straight up a foot above his head asks. I resist the urge to roll my eyes.
"You never know," I shrug before heading to my chair on the stage. I spot Prim in the front row with the 12 year olds and offer a small smile. She tries and smiles back. This is her first year, and I know she's worried. But her names only in there once so I'm not that worried. I'm more worried about Katniss. I find her in the crowd and give her a small wave. She smiles back.
It was awkward at first with me coming back. Honestly, I didn't want to even see her because I was afraid how she was going to look at me was going to be different, but, no. She looked at me as if I wasn't gone for a long time. It wasn't actually that long seeing that I was in the arena for three days. Only later did I find out she never watched my days in the arena. To scared to see me die, I guess. It was still the worst three days of my life.
Haymitch told me to play the arrogant, vicious type for the interviews. I agreed. I could do that (Vicious more than arrogant), but I pulled it off. They loved me. Loved my looks, attitude. I just wanted to get home. I know I could have done it a different way, but it was easier I guess at the time. Until I actually got into the arena. I shake my head to clear my thoughts.
The reaping starts as usual Effie Trinket greets everyone and plays that damn video. I glance at Haymitch and he gives a slight shake of his head. When it ends Mayor Undersee gives the same speech about the rebellion and our punishment. Effie then chirps,
"Ladies first!" Her heels clack loudly as she walks to the glass bowl. I resist the urge to look at Katniss. She swipes a slip from the bowl and clicks back to the microphone. She dramatically opens the paper and finally she reads the slip in her high voice,
"Primrose Everdeen!"
I feel like I'm falling. I know what's going to happen. I know. And it's going to kill me.
"I volunteer as tribute!" Katniss yells as Prim walks to the stage. Haymitch glances at me sympathetically; he knows we're close. Prim clings to Katniss and Katniss hisses something at her. When she doesn't let go I get up and ignore Haymitch's warning look. I pull prim off Katniss and help her on the stage.
"Up you go, Catnip." I say quietly. I bring Prim to her mother and then take my seat at the stage. Effie's saying something to Katniss, but my ears are buzzing. I raise my hand in the three fingered salute and soon everyone does as well.
Effie quickly moves onto the boys.
"Peeta Mellark," She says happily. The baker boy. Don't know him, don't care, I think to myself. But, I think he was the one who gave Katniss the burnt bread. Damn myself for not paying enough attention. They usher them off the stage and we follow them but instead we walk to the platform and get on the train were we'll wait for them.
When we're on the train Haymitch pours himself a drink.
"We'll think of something." He says before offering me a glass. I shake my head. I sit on one of the overly plush chairs and Haymitch sits next to me. I look down and sit silent.
"We'll think of something," Haymitch repeats with more certainty. I nod, but stay silent. The door opens up and Effie comes in babbling something to Katniss and Peeta. For a second they marvel at the food and I almost grin at how big Katniss's eyes get. The food all together can feed the entire Seam for a week. It disgusts me.
"Might as well sit down," I say waving in the direction of the chairs across from me. The gently sit down and Effie looks around feeling out of place. I raise my eyebrows at her before she lets out a huff at the lack of seats where she could listen in and walks out of the cart.
It's silent for a moment, but then Peeta speaks up,
"So, shouldn't you guys start mentoring us? Not to rush or anything…" He says looking hopefully at us. I shrug.
"You're awfully eager."
"Well I'm not looking forward to death." He replies.
"Who is?" Haymitch asks. "Listen, let us think for today. You two can do whatever you want on the train today. Tomorrow we'll get down to business." Haymitch gets up and walks out, but only to walk back in and stuff a giant cream puff in his mouth. Peeta get stands up and looks out the window on the other side of the car. I grab Katniss's hand and squeeze it before standing up and walking out of the cart.
"Go on," Shane spits, "KILL ME." I circle him. But instead of Shane, Katniss appears.
"Are you going to make me a monster, Gale. I don't want to be like you." She hisses.
I lunge and the knife goes through her abdomon.
I wake up in a panic, sweating. I can't let her die, but I can't let her go through what I did. Nightmares kept me up again all last night, too. This morning I sleepily creeped to the dining car to find Haymitch, Katniss, and Peeta already talking. I take a seat at the end of the table and pour myself some coffee.
I raise my eyebrows when I see a knife sticking straight up out of the table. I raise my eyebrows at Katniss assuming she did this.
"It's been a… interesting morning." Katniss says shrugging. I grin.
"We're here. " Peeta says excitedly. As he jumps over to the window. The car goes black, but only a moment until we're in the capitol and out of the tunnel. He waves to the people in the train station and smiles warmly. I look at Katniss as she glares at people.
"Rule one. You gotta make people like you." I grin at her as she begins to glare dangerously at me.
The reporters were buzzing around as we got onto the platform. Haymitch and I wait patiently for the chariots roll out. Katniss is lucky she got a new stylist, although, it could go both ways. In my games we were the usual coal miners. Didn't stand out much at all. I was happy about it though.
As soon as the district 12 chariot rolls out the crowd erupts in thunderous whoops and yells. They cheer the names of them and throw roses and money.
"Good start," I yell to Haymitch. He shrugs. Katniss looks great. Fierce and powerful. Maybe that's the angle we could play for her. I already have Peeta's. He has this natural charm about him I'm sure it can win over the idiots in the capitol.
Even when the chariots come to a hold and all attention should be devoted to President Snow people still want to glance at District 12 again. And that's very good. I realize that I have to talk to Katniss alone, because I haven't yet. Every time I think she has to go through what I went through kills me.
Haymitch turns to me when we wait for them to come back from the opening ceremonies and says,
"I have an idea, but I have a feeling you're not going to like it." Haymitch says slowly. I tense.
"Anything that will help her." I say. He sighs.
"Peeta told me he's been in love with Katniss… We could work the star-crossed lovers angle and-"
"No," I cut him off. "Think of something else."
"Don't be selfish, Gale. This might give her a chance."He says impatiently.
"She has a chance. She's smart. I already told you that if we had to pick one. That we pick her." I growl.
"But, what if we could pick both? Think about that."
He says as the chariot pulls in and they get off.
Katniss's POV
I think we're doing well so far. We were a hit at the opening ceremonies. After dinner I said I was going to sleep, but I ended up being too wired to actually close my eyes. So I wondered into the living room and started messing with one of the remotes. I really wanted to talk to Gale, but he went with Haymitch immediately after dinner.
"Hey," someone says I turn to find Peeta coming over and sitting beside me on the couch. I scoot a little over to put more space in between us. Luckily he doesn't notice.
"Hey," I say.
"What are you watching? I'm still having problems with that." He says nodding toward the controller.
"Something about Victors from previous hunger games." I say shrugging. I turn to the T.V. to see them talking about Haymitch, but unlike the other Victors they don't show clips from his games. Strange, seeing that he was in a quarter quill.
"Do you remember Haymitch's games? I was too young." I ask Peeta.
He shakes his head, "No. I remember Gales though." Peeta makes a face.
"Why? What happened?" I ask curiously. He looks at me for a second to see if I'm serious.
"You didn't watch?" He asks. I shake my head. He sighs and leans back.
"I shouldn't have said anything, really." He says about to get up. I grab his arm.
"Please Peeta. If he's my mentor now I ought to know." He sighs once again and sits down.
"I don't know… He teamed up with the careers and 10 died in the blood bath, and then that night he killed the careers while they were –"
"Sleeping." A voice finishes. I jump at seeing Gale there in the doorway,
"Said my games were the bloodiest yet. And the quickest over. Not something to be proud of, though."
Gales POV
*Flashback*
"Let's set up camp here." Shimmer the girl from District 1 says. The boy from District 4 pats me on the back,
"Nice job 12. Guess you aren't useless after all." I shove his hand off my back.
"It'll be smart of you not to touch me." I say dangerously.
He grins, "Whatever you say." I killed 3 people at the bloodbath I think that night. 3 on the first day. I'm on guard first before we start hiking tomorrow morning. I climb up the pine tree and take out my bow. I notch it with an arrow and take a deep breath the cold air makes it come out in puffs.
I shoot but miss Creed (District 2 girl) by inches. I take another deep breath and try to control my shaking hands. I can't show them any weakness. I try again and hit her right in the heart. Quick, and hopefully painless. I kill the rest the same way from the tree where they couldn't get me even if they did wake up.
I climb down and begin going through their stuff, taking the things I need. More weapons mostly and food. There was no water in the cornucopia. Good thing there's snow everywhere. I jump when someone grabs my foot. Wave, the district 4 girl. I hit her in the leg. It must have looked like it was a deadly blow from up high. But she's lost a lot of blood and has no weapons.
"Sorry," I say as I dive the knife into her heart. Her scream echoed in my ears, and it wouldn't be the last I heard today.
*End Flashback*
"Nothing to be proud of at all." I mutter.
SOOOOOO how was it? REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW PLEASE!
-Kaitlyn