I'm back, and I brought Chapter 4 with me! So yeah here it is…But before I start:

I'm not the amazing Suzanne Collins I do not own The Hunger Games, or any of the characters.

Gales POV

"So Sarge, did you miss 12 at all?" Kent asks, obviously trying to make conversation. Hard question, I think to myself; did I miss 12? I missed my family, but did I miss 12? That was the big question here.

"I missed my family," I say trying to answer honestly, "I kind of missed the woods I guess, too."

"Seriously, man do you even know where you're going?" he asks with a chuckle; probably trying to change the subject, which I'm actually really grateful for. I didn't know a simple question could make me think so much.

I just laugh and shake my head before stopping and looking around; trying to figure out where I am. "We must be in the merchant class part of town."

"Jesus, you would think these people have never seen some soldiers before," he says under his breath.

"What?" I ask before I notice the people staring at us; it would be hard to miss that we were from the army, since we're wearing comminicuffs, dog tags, and the holding duffle bags that say military on the side.

"Oh," I add and he just chuckles, and begins walking again. Then I hear a familiar voice from behind us yell "Gale! Gale Hawthorne, is that really you?" I turn around to see Delly running towards us.

"Oh, yea hey Delly," I say shortly, because honestly all I want to do is see my family.

"I knew it was you! Anyways are you looking for your family's house?" she asks and I nod before saying, "This is Kent by the way, Kent this is Delly," he flashes his winning grin and gives a friendly wave. "Hi, Delly," he says and she blushes before saying,

"Hi, anyway the house is in the same place it was before only it looks different, do you remember where it is?"

"Oh yeah, thanks," I say she just nods and smiles before walking away. I have to do something before she leaves. I know I shouldn't ask, but I have too.

"Wait! Delly… How's Katniss?"

She turns around and smiles before saying, "she's doing better than at first." At first? Of course it must have been horrible, and of course it my fault, I think to myself before just shaking my head.

I nod and begin to walk away, "old friend?" Kent asks,

"More like acquaintance…" I respond, before speeding up my pace.

After a couple of blocks were finally in the old Seam neighborhood,

it looks a lot different than it used to. The old run down houses have been replaced by welcoming little cottages with picket fences in front of them. The grass is much greener and you can see kids running around even though it 7:00. 7:00, I think, that means we have been walking around for an hour, but I know better than to tell Kent that because then I have to listen to even more complaining from him.

"This is it," I say stopping in front of a stone cottage with a bright red door.

"Nice," says Kent while nodding approvingly.

"It wasn't before,"

"Things change, we both know that." He's right this whole district has changed immensely; I begin to open the gate and slowly walk up the path through the door with Kent trailing behind me.

I knock three times, and suddenly I feel a wave of nervousness wash over me. I know my mother knows about the bombs, but the kids don't and I know that some time on my visit here I have to tell them.

I don't have much time to think about this before the door opens to my mother. As soon as she sees me she embraces me sobbing into my shirt, "Oh, Gale I've missed you so much." She manages to get out into sobs.

I hold her tight in my arms, she has no idea how much I missed her, she really has no clue.

I look behind her and see Rory coming down the stairs,

"Mom, what's wrong?" he asks; reluctantly she pulls away from me and says, "Look who's home."

Rory runs down the stair and begins to hug me only he's not sobbing.

I notice how much he's grown. He looks almost identical to how I did when I was his age. That's when I notice Rory being pushed off me and next it's Vick's turn who is now hugging me. He isn't quite as tall as Rory but he's also younger.

"Vick," Rory says before clearing his throat, "be manly."

"Right," Vick says before puffing out his chest and pulling away from me then making his voice deeper, "Hey man, how have you been?" I immediately start laughing and so does my mother who still has tears trailing down her face.

"Where's Posy," I ask my noticing my little sister hasn't been attacking me with hugs and questions.

"She's still sleeping," my mother says before glancing behind me "well, who would this be?"

"Oh," I say remembering Kent was there and guilt surges through me, "this is Kent he's on my squad." I say before motioning for him to come in.

"Hi," he says while walking in and closing the door behind him.

"This is Rory and Vick, and this is my mom," I say before she adds, "you can just call me Hazelle." She says before wiping away her leftover tears and shaking his hand.

"Come into the kitchen I made breakfast and we can talk," she says walking into the kitchen as we follow her.

After were finished Rory and Vick go outside to wrestle on the front lawn, which leaves my mother, Kent and I to talk.

She talks about the rebuilding and Kent talks about his experience in the Capitol before glancing toward the windows and yelling out the open window to Rory and Vick,

"Go for the legs! Excuse me while I go show those two how to properly wrestle, it was delicious Hazelle." Before getting up he smiles at her and runs out the door just as Vick tackles him to the ground.

She gives a smile and nods; they seem to like Kent well enough he's polite and he acts like a child which is why Rory and Vick like him. We both laugh when he falls and struggles as they both pin him down.

After a few moments of watching Kent get his ass kicked by two boys younger than him I break the silence and ask,

"Mom how is she?" She knows who I'm talking about,

"Fine now, she lives with Peeta their having a party in a couple of days."

"Are they together?" I ask fearing the answer,

"Yes, she seems happy enough I suppose,"

I feel a pain shoot through my chest. She knows that wasn't what I wanted to hear, but she also knows that I'd rather hear the truth then lies. I've had enough lies for a lifetime.

"Are you going to the party?" I also ask,

"Yes, the kids want to go there…You know they don't like him at all,"

"Really? Big surprise," I say with a laugh but I don't want them not to like him just because I don't. She nods with a smile,

"I think they like him more," she says gesturing to Kent who is now showing Rory and Vick some fighting techniques. Great.

"That's just because he's a kid in a mans body," She laughs at this, before I see my still half asleep little sister wander in.

"Mommy I'm hungry," she whines and I begin to smile because she is completely oblivious that I'm sitting right there.

"Honey, did you notice who's here?" She says bending over Posy,

Posy turns around and her eyes go huge before launching herself into my arms,

"Gale, I've missed you sooo much…" she goes on talking about how annoying Vick and Rory are, and how school is while she eats breakfast.

After a long story about her new teacher I get up out of my chair and say,

"I got to go back to the base since its 1:00." After I say my good-byes and convince Posy I'm coming back soon then manage to pry her off of me, Kent and I leave and he says while we walk through the neighborhood,

"Those kids are rough man,"

"You're a child." I say but it doesn't sound too serious since I'm laughing, but just then something catches my eye, something's out of place. And Kent must notice it to because he stops and says,

"What a piece of crap, cheap bastards couldn't fix up all the houses,"

He's right the house I'm looking at has fire damage everywhere from the firebombs; it's one of the old Seam houses. There isn't much left of it the fire place is still there but looks like it's about to topple over. Wait, I think, this is familiar. And then I know why. This is Katniss' house.

"Go on without me, I'll find my way back." I say still staring at the house.

He doesn't object and goes on. I know I shouldn't go in but for some reason I have to. Well the walls have pretty much all toppled down so you could say go in I guess, but before I even know it I'm standing in the middle of the house.

I feel like I'm intruding on her privacy, even if she doesn't live here. This is where I used to be happy, hungry but happy, I think to myself. I get on my knees and put my head in my hands and think: I'm a fool if I think she could ever forgive me, I out of everyone I know she's not the forgiving type.

My train of thought is interrupted by a cold, stern voice, but it cracks right at the end. Yes, cold and stern and don't let me forget unforgiving, but familiar.

"What are you doing here?" I look up and see who's talking to me and manage to get out,

"Hey catnip."

Woooo! Hoped you like it! Don't forget to review I really love to get your feedback. Next chapter will be out soon.