A/N: Okay, this is the longest one shot I have ever written. Dang. This is also my first story written with Gale/Katniss. Hope you like it! Set post-Mockingjay!

Gale sat in his new home in District 2. He was finally unpacked, though he didn't have much to unpack in the first place. It was just him, living in a huge house. His family didn't come with him. They insisted on staying on District 12.

He would've preferred a smaller house, especially since it was just him. But the boss of his new job offered him a house. And since it was for free, he couldn't exactly say no. It was easily the nicest house he's ever lived in. An upstairs and a downstairs. More than 2 rooms in the whole house. Anything was nice compared to his old house in the seam though. They put him in one of the few unused houses in the Victor's Village so the layout was very similar to Katniss' house.

Katniss…the current thing on Gale's mind.

Gale didn't start his new job until the following week so he had a lot of free time on his hands. That wasn't exactly a good thing though. It gave him time to think. To think about things he should try to forget.

He was sitting at a table in his kitchen, looking out a window. There was a scenic view that Gale would normally love; a forest. Right now, it just brought painful thoughts and memories. It reminded him of the hours he spent in the woods of District 12 with Katniss.

There goes that k word again.

It was like trying to mend a broken heart. The worst part was that he never even dated her or never even went into a serious relationship with her.

It's not like he had to leave because she choose Peeta over himself, even though Gale knows that she did, and he couldn't live with that. He'd rather that be why he had to leave her. Not because it was something he did.

If it weren't for the bombs, he'd still be living in District 12. And with Peeta's current state, he may just have had a shot with her still.

All because of the bombs that killed Prim.

He knows that it wasn't truly his fault, though he still feels guilty. Yes, the design was his idea. He knew that there was a possibility that they could be used. He never knew what for though. Not for killing a bunch of children. Especially not for killing Prim. If there was one thing he could do over in his life, that moment would be it.

He may not fully blame himself, but he could still never go back. He saw Katniss very little after it happened. But it was enough to know.

She was confused, not really sure what to believe. When he went to give her the arrow though, he knew. He knew what was going through her mind. He knew because of the silence when he asked her the question. She'd always be thinking about it when she saw him. Always wondering if it really was his bomb that did it. And she would never get an answer. She'd never be able to heal if she had to look at his face every day. So he left.

That didn't mean he had to stop thinking about her.

After her first game, he knew things would never be the same. Something like that could really damage and change a person. He still hoped though. Hoped she would choose the boy she's known since 12, her best friend, her hunting partner. Not the boy she just met. But the boy she just met seemed impossible to hate. He tried many times, but it just seemed wrong to hate him.

He has to give up on her now. There is just no possibility. The only real chance he sees is if Katniss came running through his door at that very moment, and that was as likely as Snow rising back from the dead.

Giving up on her is the only way to possibly move on with his life and be happy again. To try and find a new love and to make new friends.

It's just hard when you think that you could have had it all. Maybe it's a foolish thought but he truly believes that if Prim never got reaped, him and Katniss could have been together. Then again, his Mom always told him true love had a way of happening, even in the darkest of times.

Gale shook his head in frustration. He couldn't keep thinking like this. It would in no way help him move on. Even his hatred for the Capitol couldn't take his mind of things.

Maybe it's so hard because he kept so many things unsaid. When was the right time to really say them though?

Or maybe he should have left with saying a final good bye. Katniss wouldn't have told him to stay. No one would've stopped him. Maybe it would have even given him a sense of closure.

Though then he would've had to see pain in Katniss eyes. Pain mixed with thoughts of Prim and the fact that he was leaving her.

What to do what to do…

He knew he couldn't constantly walk around all the time with a scowl on his face. Maybe he just needed one final goodbye. To let everything out that he wanted to say but felt like he couldn't say to Katniss' face.

Calling her wouldn't work because she could just hang up. But maybe…

The best part about this "new Panem" is that you can actually contact people that don't live in your district. It's something people used to use a long time ago. Something called mail. Gale could think of nothing else and it was worth the shot. So he wrote her a letter.

Catnip,

If you don't respond I understand. For all I know, you aren't even reading this. It's just getting ignored, sitting on a table. Or maybe it's in the trash or maybe you're even burning it. I don't really care what you do with it honestly. I just want to write this.

I'm hoping that maybe it will help me get over you. Feel better about how things ended. And yes, I said 'help me get over you'. I'm not going to hide anything from you on this sheet of paper. You're going to get the whole truth out of me. After all, these may be my final words to you.

I really feel bad about how things ended. But I don't want to just write about that. I'm not going to sit here and apologize ten times asking you to forgive me and let me back into your life. I'm not looking for forgiveness by writing this. I'm simply looking for closure.

You don't know how badly I wish I was back in District 12 right now. How badly I wished I was home. No matter how messed up District 12 looks right now, it's where I want to be. But it's better for me to be in District 2. Maybe you don't agree or maybe you do. I just know it's for the best. Every time you'd see me, you would just think of Prim. And really, I just want you to get better. If that means me not being in your life, so be it.

You'll be glad to know my anger towards the Capitol is as high as ever. I feel like that's the only part of me that's normal. I feel off, different. They say war can change a person. Who ever said that, they knew what they were talking about.

I'm always going to miss you and I'm always going to love you. Yes, love, if you already didn't know that. And stop blushing, I told you I wasn't hiding anything remember?

Just, be happy. With whomever you want. You're free now, Catnip.

Gale.

Gale read over the letter and was content with it. It would have to do. So he sent it off, ready to start the "new chapter" of his life.

At first, Gale would secretly hope that he would get a response back from Katniss. He would check every day. But nothing. After a year he stopped hoping.

He finally started to move on though. He made a living and never had to worry about going hungry. He would still hunt whenever he had free time. He made a few friends and met a girl he ended up liking more than a friend. Sometimes he would still think about Katniss but he would never let that get in the way. After a year of dating they finally got married and had a kid that Gale loved more than he's ever loved anyone. He was finally happy and content with his life.

Twenty years had gone by since he wrote that letter to Katniss. Twenty whole years and still not a word from her.

Well, until that morning anyway. Gale found a letter sitting on the table. A letter to him. From Katniss. He just sort of looked at it at first, shocked. But after a few second he came to his senses and opened it up.

Gale,

How long has it been now? About twenty years? So much has changed since I've last seen you. This time though, the change has been for the better.

I know you wrote to me shortly after the war. I apologize for not responding either. You understand why though, right? It was just way to soon. I know, we will never be really sure whose bomb killed Prim...but the odds are that it's yours. I'm not trying to make you feel guilty. It was an accident. I know you would never purposely try to hurt her. It was still tough though.

So how has two been treating you? I hope you are happy there. My mother told me you got married and have a son. I'm happy for you too. It's always good to hear good news.

I'm so much better now, happy even. It was hard at first. Nothing seemed to even matter anymore. Peeta helped me though. He would get me through the nightmares and I would get him through the false memories. He was there for me when no one else was and made me smile when no one else could. Showed me I could be happy again. And that is when I realized I was in love with him. And now I've done what I said I never would. Get married and have kids. The marriage part wasn't bad. It took me a bit to agree to have kids though.

I hope you come to visit soon. I miss my best friend. It shouldn't be so hard anymore. Having just a tiny piece of the happier bit of my old life would be nice. Hope to hear from you soon.

-Katniss

Gale read it about three times before he could believe it. Maybe there was hope after all. Obviously not in a romantic way, but maybe there was hope that they could at least be friends again. And that was more than enough for Gale.

A/N: Loved it? Hated it? Am I never allowed to write Gale again? Tell me what you think in a review. They cheer me up when I'm feeling down :D

Also, if that letter from Katniss to Gale looks familiar to you, I didn't steal it! That happens to be from me fanfic Letters and I was too lazy to write a new one when I had a perfectly good one already written.

*Thanks to ShadowPrincess2 for reviewing!*

*Thanks to ShadowPrincess2 and DesignerheartCommonblood for alerting!*

*Thanks to Silver Moonwings for adding story to favorites!*

~LizTheBookNerd