A/N: Chapter 3 now! :) Thanks so much to everyone who left a review! They all make me happy and inspire me to write more! :) Okay, here it is...
Chapter 3
It had been a week since the ceremony for the miners, and the Hawthorne family slowly managed to get their life back in order.
Hazelle had given birth a few days after the ceremony to a little red head baby girl with stunning green sparkling eyes, which she had named Posy. A couple days passed, and she already caught herself a job as a laundry maid.
Rory and Vick had quickly matured, taking charge of helping their mother around the house and caring for their new baby sister.
Gale became the main supporter of the family, and their lives slowly became a new normal for them.
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SIX MONTHS LATER
It was any other day for Gale. Wake up, go to school, go hunting, bring the game home. It was the exact same thing everyday. Today was no different. After school let out, Gale headed directly to the woods, with hunting supplies in his pack.
He slowed down once he slipped through the fence, appreciating the forest, the freedom of it. Getting away from the totalitarian Capitol. Having a few hours of being free.
He made his way to the snares he had set up prior to heading to school, hoping that he would have enough food to bring home for tonight. When Gale arrived at the scene, he found a familiar looking girl holding burlap sacks, lurking around his snares holding dead rabbits. Her fingers reached out, almost touching the wires.
"That's dangerous," Gale remarked.
The girl jumped back, startled. She was rather young - only about eleven or twelve years of age.
Where have I seen her before? Gale thought. School? No. He rarely paid any attention to school. She did live in the Seam, he knew that much.
She didn't answer. "What's your name?" Gale tried instead.
"Cahnip." She mumbled. Gale couldn't hear anything. What had she said? Catnip? Weird name.
Gale shrugged. "Well, Catnip, stealing's punishable by death or hadn't you heard."
She looked up at me and said loudly, "Katniss. And I wasn't stealing. I just wanted to look at your snare. Mine never catch anything."
Still a weird name. Gale scowled. Sure she was just looking. She looked like she was starving and ready to snag the rabbit off the wire. "So where'd you get the squirrel?"
"I shot it," she replied as she pulled a bow off her shoulder.
Gale's eyes automatically flew to the bow. The words came out of his mouth without his permission. "Can I see that?"
Katniss slowly handed it over. "Just remember, stealing's punishable by death."
Gale felt himself thawing out, and he felt a tiny smile tug at the corners of his mouth. He caught himself smiling, and replaced it with his scowl. He hadn't smiled in a while. Not since his father had died. After that time, there had been no time for joy. He ran his fingers along the bow, examining it from all angles.
"Where did you get this?" Gale inquired.
She replied, "My father made it. He used to take me hunting with him. He taught me how to shoot."
"So why are you out here alone then?" Gale knew the forest could be dangerous. "Where is he?"
She stiffened, and her face hardened. "He died in the mine accident months ago."
So that's how I knew her. She was the Everdeen girl, the one who had accepted the medal for her family. "My father died in that accident too."
Her face softened. "It was so hard after that accident, I -" She cut herself off, and her face became cold again.
There was a silence, then she said, "I could get you a bow."
Gale was intrigued. "How?"
"I have extras. But I need an exchange from you." She was ready to bargain.
Damn. Gale knew there would be a catch. "What do you need?"
"Knowledge. I have to learn how to keep my family alive." A worried expression took hold of her face.
Gale pondered it for a minute. "Yeah, I think we could do that."
She looked more relaxed. "Okay. When do you want to meet up?"
"Hmm..how about tomorrow at 7:00?" By then, Gale was usually already up and hunting.
"Yeah, sure." She stood there, uncertain of what to do next. "Well, bye." Katniss turned and left.
Long after she was gone, a whisper of a smile formed on Gale's lips. "Yeah, bye."
A/N: It was kind of short, sorry. I will be back with more though! :) On an off topic note..BREAKING DAWN PART I tomorrow! Anyone going to watch it? I will! I can't wait for the drama! Team Edward. Yay! Please review?
