Author's Note: I decided to try continuing "Therapy". It was intended to be a one-shot, but I guess even my brain knew I couldn't leave it just like that. Song is "Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift. Honestly not sure why I picked it. But it seemed to fit for some reason. I don't own the Hunger Games.

I remember tears streaming down your face
When I said, I'll never let you go
When all those shadows almost killed your light
I remember you said, Don't leave me here alone
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight

Gale smiled as he heard Katniss on the other side of the line, a comfort that he hadn't had in a long while. She sounded pleased to hear from him, a shock to him. He hadn't expected her to be happy when he called her. He had expected her to be angry, to yell at him at him for calling her. "So, Catnip. How are you? How's life? Do you have any kids or what?"

Katniss laughed, and Gale felt his heart flutter. Stop that, he thought, she's married. He bit his lip as she spoke, wishing he could look at her smile, the sparkle in her eyes. "No, no kids... not yet... Peeta really wants kids, but I'm not sure. It's not the same without you, Gale. It's nice... but it feels like a big part of me is missing. Like you took half of me with you when you moved to District 2."

Gale sighed. He didn't expect her to say that, and it felt like a punch in the gut. A reminder that he had left her behind without bothering to say goodbye. At the time, it had felt right for him to just leave her behind, leave everything behind. He thought she'd be grateful, but it was clear from the wistful air in her voice that he wished he had stayed to talk things over with her. Maybe he could've had his chance if he had stayed behind with her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left... but I figured you wouldn't want to be around me. I haven't been able to talk with my family either. They reminded me too much of you... and that I lost you."

Katniss was silent for a while. They rarely had talked the first time around, but this time the silences seemed more significant, more of which he should pay attention to. He tried, but somehow, they were too different now. It was like he was speaking to her for the first time. "You should have spoken with your family more. They miss you too. You were their provider... and you provided for my family too when I wasn't able to. I never thanked you for that."

Gale rolled his eyes. She didn't have to thank him for what he had done for her. He would do it all over again, do everything all over again to make sure she and her family made it out of that District. Maybe he would've made sure Prim was no where near those bombs when they blew in his do over, but other than that... nothing would be different. Only Prim would change... and possibly even Finnick. Finnick was a good man, he knew, and he wish he had gotten to know him. He felt he could've gotten along with Finnick. "There's really no need to thank me for that. I would've done it again... no matter what. I made you a promise and I kept it."

Gale was pleased when Katniss didn't bring up what happened to Prim after all his efforts to keep her safe and sound. He didn't need to remember that, not right now anyway.

Just close your eyes
The sun is going down
You'll be alright
No one can hurt you now
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound

It was insane to think that these two former best friends were damn near strangers. He wasn't willing to accept that anymore. He was once desperately in love with her, desperate to do anything that would make her smile. Now he didn't know just how to make her smile... or if she was smiling at all. "I just wish I had kept that in mind before I had to go and break your heart."

Gale let out a stiff laugh, trying to get back into the friendship with her. "Me too. Would've save me a damn near load of trouble. Of course, even knowing you'd break my heart, I'd still do everything to keep your family safe, and that included going into that war. Because face it, Catnip, if we hadn't won that war... and even if... she'd survive... Snow would've personally seen to it that... she... got into the arena."

Katniss bit her lip. It was clear why Gale was dancing around Prim's name. Even saying her name hurt him, because he could never know what had happened there. What hurt the most was that Gale had done so much for her to make sure that she and her mother could be safe... so she could have a safe life with Peeta. He walked out to make sure she never doubted herself, and she wished she had seen that. "I just... I wish you had gotten in touch sooner."

Don't you dare look outside your window, darling

Gale sighed, running a hand through his hair. His hair had been cut recently. His job didn't allow him to have his usual shaggy hair cut, and it kind of pissed him off. He'd already changed so much and now here he was, changing some more. It was good to have this change, one that would allow him to talk to Katniss again. "I didn't let you get in touch with me for a reason, Catnip."

Katniss sighed as well. Gale was terribly stubborn when it came to protecting other people, and she should have known that. That he would go through any lengths to preserve the relationship from Peeta and Katniss, even though it would hurt him so. She missed that, his fierce dedication to her. It was comforting. "I know. I just... I've missed you... and the protection you gave me. I miss seeing the fire in your eyes, the way you could delicately set snares... the way you made sure nothing ever happened to your family... I guess I shouldn't have been surprised you were a fierce soldier as well."

Gale bit his lip. Fierce soldier... he always thought he was a monster in her eyes, but now he knew. She finally understood. Understood why he had done what he had done. All to protect their families. "I was just trying to protect you. I never wanted you to get hurt, but somehow, through my actions, you got hurt anyway. I wish I could bring back them all. Finnick and Prim. Boggs. I just... I wish those deaths hadn't happened. The worst part of moving on is the memories. It's so bad, the courts mandated I get fucking therapy for it."

Katniss paused. "Therapy?"

Everything's on fire
The war outside our door keeps raging on
Hold onto to this lullaby
Even when the music's gone
Gone

Gale ran his fingers through his hair, cursing. He hadn't meant to mention the therapy, or that he was even in therapy at all. It had somehow happened, somehow came up because he trusted her. She was still his best friend, even though she was a stranger. "Yeah. I was kind of... numb... for the last few years. It was sort of... just me having to move on. I didn't want to go. I was stubborn about it. Refusing to tell the guy anything. Says I'm his worst patient."

Katniss laughed, and Gale felt his heart race again. Stop that, he thought, she's married. "I could imagine. You're not very good with words, are you?"

Gale bit his lip, wanting to tell Katniss the truth, that he was still in love with her. However, he couldn't. He couldn't do that to her, even after all she'd done to him. Left him broken, bleeding, and needing help to be pieced back together. He shook his head. "No, I'm not very good with words. Never was. We did our best connecting out in the woods, not through talking."

Katniss snorted, and Gale realized the implications of his words too late. "I don't know what you've been dreaming about, but I don't think we ever did that in the woods."

He flushed. This was not how he planned for the conversation to turn to. He couldn't joke about this with Katniss, not the girl who he still was desperately in love with. He fumbled the phone, but kept his hold on it. "No... no we didn't."

Just close your eyes
The sun is going down
You'll be alright
No one can hurt you now
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound

Katniss fell silent. He bit his lip, unsure of what she was thinking of anymore. He used to be able to read her like the back of his hand, but he couldn't tell anymore. She wasn't the same as the girl he had left. "Gale... do you mind if I... come over... sometime soon? Just... to talk things out with you?"

He couldn't believe the words that came out of his mouth. "Of course you can come over. You're always invited over."

Just close your eyes
You'll be alright
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound