Author's note: This one's a bit shorter than the previous chapter, but I put some important stuff in here. Hope you still like it and keep reading. And constructive criticism is welcome. I'll be writing chapter five in a day or so. Happy reading!

Chapter Four

Gale arrived at breakfast the next morning to see Finn looking forlorn and picking at his food.

"Hey, what's going on?" He asked as he took his seat.

"My mom's still in bed. I asked her if she wanted breakfast, but she said she didn't feel like eating."

"It's not the first time, is it?"

The boy shook his head.

"Katniss and I have our competition today. You wanna come watch?"

"I don't know."

"I think your mom will be okay."

"You don't know."

"No, I don't." He watched the boy for a few moments and then asked, "Want me to go talk with her?"

"You could try. But I don't think she'll say much. If she says anything at all."

"Okay, I'll go see." He got up and walked to Annie's room. He knocked on the door. There was no sound from inside. He pushed it open. "Annie?"

No response.

He stepped in the room and saw the woman lying on her side, staring off into nothing. "Are you okay?"

She blinked and looked at him like she'd never seen him before. Then she looked away again without a word.

"Would it be all right if Finn came with me to the range? Katniss and I are having a competition."

"I don't mind." She said softly.

"Do you need anything?"

She said so softly he wasn't sure he heard it entirely, "The pain to go away."

His heart clenched at the words. He knew how she felt. "If you need anything, call someone? Please?"

She nodded, still staring into nothing.

"We'll be back later."

She said nothing again.

He walked out of the room. He smiled at Finn. "She said yes."

"She talked to you?"

He thought about what she'd actually said, but only told Finn, "She didn't say much."

"She never does. Sometimes she rambles on about water and tridents and fishing."

"I'm sorry, Finn."

They finished eating their breakfast and then went out to the shooting range. Gale smiled at the fancy bow he saw in Katniss's hands. He knew it had been designed especially for her. He told Finn this as they walked up.

"What about yours?" the boy asked, gesturing to the bow he carried.

"Not as special as hers, but still as beautiful."

"Who's beautiful?" Peeta asked, wrapping a protective arm around his wife's waist.

"My bow." Gale said. He took in the quiver of arrows on the floor. "Are those mine?"

"Yes." Katniss said. "The targets are set at twenty, forty, and eighty yards. One set for each of us. You have three arrows for each target." She smiled, "You ready."

"I'm always ready, Catnip."

She laughed and nudged his arm.

They took turns shooting at each of their three targets. When they were done, Katniss whispered to her bow, "Goodnight." And put it into its case.

The four of them walked up to tally the scores.

Both got all three of their arrows in the bull's eye of the first. On the second one, Katniss got two in the bull's eye and one just slightly out of center. Only one of Gale's hit center while the other two landed just slightly on the outside.

The last target decided it all. Gale hit just outside of center in a nice cluster. Katniss hit the bull's eye dead on with two while the third was just outside.

"Well, I think that proves that I'm still better." She boasted.

"I'm not too far off." Gale said, placing his arrows back in his quiver.

"No, not too far." She agreed, putting her own arrows away.

Mrs. Everdeen walked into the room. "I was told I would find you all here."

"What's going on, Mother?" Katniss asked.

"Finn, your mother was looking for you."

"Is she okay?" he asked, walking up to her, remembering she had come from the hospital the night before.

"She's fine. She just wants you to come back to your rooms."

Peeta spoke up, "I'll bring you back." He put his arm around the boy's shoulders and walked with him out the door.

Gale asked, "What happened?"

The older woman explained, "She called the hospital saying some odd things about 'feeling the pull' and that she didn't know where she was. She sounded off. I went to see her because I was free. She said she needed her son, that he was here. I gave her something to calm her and then came here."

"She's all right now?"

"I think so." She looked at her watch. "I need to get back." She turned without another word.

Gale leaned against the wall. "Your mother seems well."

"I suppose she's as well as she can be."

"You mean since I killed your sister?"

"I wasn't the one who said it."

"Maybe it wouldn't have happened if you had kept playing their game."

"You'd rather I was dead?"

"You know, sometimes I feel like it would be better."

"What does that mean?"

"Sometimes it just feels like it would be easier to let you go."

"You mean if I were completely gone? You think it was an easy choice to make for me?"

"You tell me. Is it better having a guy who wants to kill you half the time?"

"It's not his fault."

"Right."

"Are you saying it's my fault? I wanted him out Gale. But it wasn't my choice to make. It was him or Finnick."

"And look what happened to Finnick. Doesn't matter in the end, does it? Everyone that matters to someone is dead."

"Yeah and I might as well be, right?" She brushed past him and out of the room.

He followed, "That's not what I meant, Katniss."

She rounded, "So what did you mean?"

"That I hurt every day thinking about how I lost you." He took in a deep breath and let it out. "Annie is so lost. Knowing that you're actually alive and well makes it a little better, but not much. You're still not mine."

"I'm sorry, Gale. Peeta and I…we understand each other better than you and I do."

"Because of the Games?"

"Yes."

"I thought we understood each other after helping keep each other alive for four years. Working to keep our families alive."

"Don't, Gale. It's different. You weren't in that arena."

"We fought together in the battle."

"And your bombs killed my sister."

He clenched his teeth and pounded his fist into the wall. "It wasn't my fault, Katniss. I never thought they'd use it against our own people."

"But they did." She turned and started walking away.

He called after her, "I thought all was forgiven."

"Yeah, I did too."

He stood watching her retreating form. Then he walked slowly towards the old tribute training center. He walked up the stairs, not wanting to bother with the elevator.

As he walked by the living room, he saw Annie and Finn sitting together on the couch watching TV. Katniss and Peeta were curled up together on the love seat.

Gale shook his head and walked to his room, slamming the door behind him. He collapsed on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. Why did all of this still hurt so bad?


Gale walked out of his room when he heard the sounds of the group talking softly in the dining room down the hall. He walked in and stood in the door.

He looked at Katniss and asked, "Could I have a moment?"

She stood and walked out into the hall. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry for all I said. I don't wish you were dead. I'm sorry my bombs were used to hurt someone you love. And I'm really sorry for all I said earlier." He looked her in the eyes. "Do you have a good life?"

"As good as can be expected, I suppose."

"Then I'm happy for you." He clenched his jaw. These words were so hard for him to say. "And I hope we can continue to work this out."

She wrapped her arms around his waist unexpectedly. "I've missed you." She whispered. "I've missed you so much."

He wrapped his arms around her. "Me too, Katniss."