Authors Note: Someone sent me a review saying the reunion felt quite un-natural, and I agree but at the moment I have nothing else to write for the conversation, but I will edit that once my brain starts functioning.

I again don't own The Hunger Games. I wish I did though.

Edit: I've edited the Gale and Katniss conversation.

I don't reply because I'm too shocked to speak, Julia laughs at me "Oh I was like that when Gale proposed, truly beyond happy!" she looked up at him.

Oh, if she only knew what I felt.

I stand there, with my mouth open, I finally said "That's great" when I had found my tongue "I'm happy for you, really, come in..."

Julie makes a short chuckle and enters, she gasps. "Your house is amazing; do you live here by yourself?" She asks.

I shake my head "I, uh, live here with my kids. Sienna and Lucas." I tell her, she nods as she makes herself at home and sits down. She tilts her head over as if she's still waiting for me to continue.

There was an awkward pause until she asks me "And, your husband?"

Oh, so that's what she wanted to ask me. She wanted to shove it in my face that I was a single mother while she was out marrying a hunter. I see what you did there, Julia. Very smart, but not smart enough.

"Well, we're not together anymore." I reply to her obviously, "Oh, I'm very sorry, I hope I didn't go too personal" she replies quickly afterwards.

I wish she wasn't nice, and then I'd have a real reason to hate her.

"No, its fine, really!" I say uncomfortably, "So… how did you two meet?" I ask, hoping to move on.

"Oh!" She answers acknowledging "I didn't realize I was getting so side-tracked! Gale & I met the first time I had ever gone in the forest – I wanted to feel adventure, or that adrenaline rush that everyone's talking about it. And Gale – " she looked up at him and gave him a kiss on the cheek "had given me that experience." She smiled.

Well, no surprise there. It was your classical girl meets boy, boy meets girl, girl falls deeply in love with boy, boy is hesitant but falls in love, they kissed, claims that this is the real deal (oh, the many times I heard that before), becomes foolish and marries each other.

The end.

Okay maybe not, maybe I'm jealous. But I still don't like it.

"That's great" I tell her after she's done, hoping she doesn't sense the voice I'm putting on "really great, I'm so happy for both of you!"

Julie smiles and nods "yes, I was thrilled! I never thought that a guy like him," she looks over at Gale and pokes his cheek "would marry me! Me! Out of all the people! I had thought that you were kind of his type." She laughs.

My mouth opens again, "Well, h-how did you get that idea?" I nearly choke on my words.

"Well…" she starts off, explaining things by her hands "with the history two had and all."

I nod slowly.

"Anyway…" Julie trails off "the first thing I thought off was running in the woods after he asked, because, we could do it, you know." She looks up at him. "Leave the district. Run off. Live in the woods." But she looks back at me and shakes her hand as if as she was trying to shake the dream away "But, you know, that idea is so preposterous!" She laughs. Gale laughs along with her, "we wouldn't make it 5 miles, and you'd scare the food all away." And kisses her on the nose.

I feel my whole body freeze, my head up to my toes. I can feel the tension everywhere around my skin, I'm getting goose bumps because I know I've heard those words before, I'm certain.

I cough slightly and laugh awkwardly along with them.

Julia was about to open her mouth, when we hear shouting coming from upstairs.

"Lucas, seriously? Just go down stairs if you're so curious! And then tell me afterwards," I hear the familiar voice of Sienna.

"But why is it always me? Why don't you go downstairs? And then tell me what they're talking about, huh?" Lucas' voice raises.

"Must I do everything by myself?" Sienna replies back at him.

"Well, ladies first!" Lucas snarls back at her.

And I look around at the expressions of Julia, and especially Gale. They are both looking at me in confusion. I look at Gale and turn away immediately, I know he wants an explanation.

"Aye! We can hear you, you nosy brats! Now come down stairs and introduce yourselves!"

There is no reply from upstairs except sighs and "This is all your fault" from Lucas.

They both slowly walk down stairs, taking their time until they come in the living room.

I both give them death glares that say "speak now or die when they're gone"

Lucas gives a cough "Hi, I'm Lucas. I'm the son of Katniss & Peeta Mellark. Now, who are you?"

He is close enough for me to give him a slight kick; he coughs again "I mean, what are your names?"

Sienna rolls her eyes and says something under her breath. "Hello, I'm Sienna Everdeen, I like to use my Mum's name because Mellark doesn't go with Sienna." she waits for a response but continue on smiling at both of them. That's Sienna for you, I have no idea how she manages to just say stuff out of the blue that are completely irrelevant and doesn't feel embarrassed at all.

Julie is the first to reply "What a pleasure to meet you guys! I'm Julia Hawthorne, well – to be." She squeals and shows Sienna her ring. Sienna doesn't know how to respond except smile back.

Lucas takes no interest in it, however and Julia looks over to him "Hello, Lucas, you look quite like your mum." She says looking back at me and then to him. "How would you know if you've never met my dad, though?" Lucas replies back at her and Julia opens her mouth to answer but ends up just shutting it.

"Hey, Sienna, I'm Gale. I'm a very close friend of your mum."

Sienna nods, and Gale looks over at Lucas too. "Gale? That name sounds famil - oh yeah! Mum talks about you sometimes, from her past hunting days, you know, the days she was okay to hang out with in public? I wish I saw her like that, was she cool? I heard she was one of the best hunters, is that true?"

Gale laughs at this, "well, I'll tell you something." He leans in and whispers something into Lucas' ear, something I am dying to hear but keep calm about it. Lucas laughs at whatever Gale says and looks back at me "I approve, Mum." He nods at me, I raise my eyebrow in question "I mean, like, Gale is alright. I understand why you were best friends."

Were. Must we really use that word?

Sienna and Lucas both walk off as if on queue.

Julie starts talking once they both leave, "so… back to the reason, we're here… well… I want you to be my maid of honer!"

I pause a little because I don't know how to react. Should I? I should. I should because I at least owe him this much, he deserves to be happy. I mean, I want him to be happy. Except I want to be the reason. Am I that selfish?

This is why I hate owing people.

Is she really expecting me to sit there smiling watching Gale marry someone else? Love someone else? Do they expect me to be genuinely happy for them? I want to. But given the history we had…

What am I going to do? Not say anything? What happens when the priest asks if anyone has a reason why the two of them should not be married? How am I going to restrain myself?

Then I glance over to Gale. Whose eyes are piercing through me, I know he knows what I'm thinking. He knows.

And then suddenly, something overwhelms me, flashbacks of me and Peeta are everywhere. As if my brain is trying to send me a message… but…

And then it clicks, I understand now.

Because while I was kissing Peeta in the arena.

While I was telling everyone how much I loved Peeta.

When I was ready to sacrifice my life for Peeta.

When I did anything I could to save him.

When Peeta told everyone we were married.

And had children.

What was Gale doing?

What was he feeling? Is he feeling something familiar to what I am feeling?

Even though I don't want to, I need to. So I give Julia a short nod and reply to her "Yes" and give her a long glance, observing this girl who was about to marry Gale.

I've done it now. I've officially lost the only two people in the earth who probably would have done anything for me.

How did it end like this? Not to Julia marrying Gale. But to Peeta leaving me, as well. How? How I could I have been so stupid not to realize that my marriage was falling apart?

I mean, I did. I noticed. I tried to keep it together, right?

But that's the thing. I just tried. When I should have done everything in my power to save it.

And now look at me, there is no longer anything to save. Or rather, anyone.

It seems like Julia was talking while I was thinking and I blankly look at her. "Sorry, what?" I ask her and she doesn't hesitate to tell me again, she doesn't even sigh or rolls her eyes.

"Oh, sure, well maybe the day after tomorrow? I'm quite busy tomorrow."

I reply to her question.

I'm not really busy.

I just need a bit of time to think, space all by myself a bit to accept the change.

Julia nods "Yes, yes I understand, well we'll drop down the next day! See you soon, Katniss."

I smile and return the nod "You too, Julia."

Gale doesn't move though, maybe it was just a long habit of him to stay with me.

No, that's stupid Katniss.

Because he gives Julia a kiss on the cheek, and I'm sure he told her that he wants to talk to me alone.

Julia returns an understanding smile and walks out.

I don't want to look at him directly in the eyes, afraid of what I might see.

Anger?

He has every right to be.

Except he approaches me, he sits down right in front of me and I can now feel his breath and stare on me. So I do what I usually do and look down.

"Please, Katniss, do it for me." Gale says, and I can hear the real him. Or maybe because I've spent practically half my life with him that I know what he's feeling simply by his voice.

"I am" I whisper and look into his eyes, and just for a second I see the boy who accused me of stealing from one of his traps. And it physically and emotionally hurts me how all that was wasted, those years of trust and friendship. Gone.

Except Gale knows me awfully too well that he already knows that I'm not really wholeheartedly wanting to so he ignores this and continues on. "I waited for you." His voice now with no emotion so he can hide his emotions, something he's so good at but something I've gotten used to.

He's angry.

"So you have no valid excuse not to come." He tells me and stands up and repeats again "I waited for you. And I know what you're thinking. I know you're not happy. You don't approve of Julia."

I don't answer because he's right, but I do approve of Julia. Not that my opinion matters but at least he's marrying someone that's nice and…

"Don't lie to yourself." He tells me again as if he's reading my mind and bends over to me "She makes me happy, Katniss. Something I haven't been after you, so don't you dare ruin it for me."

That stung, what did he think I was going to do? Jump on top of Julia and demand Gale marry me?

"What do you mean?" I ask him though, because I have no more energy to yell or shout.

"I mean… don't make me feel bad."

Oh.

"Don't make me feel like I should've picked you. That I should've waiting longer." He grits at me.

"Don't make me love you. Because I've finally found someone who can make me happy and it's not you. Do you know how happy that makes me feel? That I've finally gotten over you? That I can officially say truthfully that I don't need you anymore. That I can live without Katniss Everdeen. Because I watched you and Peeta in the arena and off-screen. Did you know how that made me feel, Katniss? Do you? I watched the person I love, love someone else. And I accepted it." Gale tells me, and as he walks away he turns back at me, his voice quite softer "Now it's your turn."

I feel a bit of anger bubbling inside me, not just on this, but on everything else and I know I'll regret taking my anger out on him but I need to release everything.

"What do you expect from me Gale?" I don't shout, but I ask it him harshly "I am happy for you! How do you know what I'm feeling? What gives you the right to say what I don't and do feel, huh? Yeah, you waited for me and I'm so sorry okay! But I am happy! Really absolutely, over the top trilled for both of you! Why can't you just accept that!" This time I really shout. Except I'm asking myself this, not him and I know he knows that too so he just opens the door and leaves.


How did it end like this?

I asked myself that question over ten times after Gale and Julia had left and I can't find a logical answer, because it all links to one person.

Me.

I'm the type of girl who's selfish enough to push people away, assuming that they will come back. I build walls that I expect people to go past.

That's what Peeta said.

And I guess now I can see why he left, I understand and I don't blame him.

I pushed them too far. That's what I do; I think that they'll come running back to me.

Except they didn't.

They ran away.

What am I going to do?

A familiar question I swear I've heard myself ask before.

And then, something Gale told me earlier answers the question for me.

Accept it.