hey guys! so last chapter was really lame and boring and i'm super sorry for that! but you know sometimes those chapters are needed just to sort of form the story. anyway, i hope this makes up for it! :) xoxox-Brooklyn
a/n: in the books it would be 22 years, but i felt like that was too long, i don't want them to be middle aged :P so in my story it's only been twelve years, okay? okay cool.

"MOOOM! WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP!" Katniss slowly opened her eyes and yawned. Prim sat on her mother over the blanket and was much too close for comfort.

"Oh, Primrose, honey, too close"

"Don't you know what day it is today?" she screeched bouncing up and down on the bed, "IT'S MEET THE TEACHER DAY!" she screamed excitedly.

"Yes Prim I know, calm down okay?" said Katniss tiredly "did your dad already leave for work?"

"Mhm! And he dropped Cinna off at daycare too" Katniss sat up and stretched.

"That's nice of him, when's our meeting again?"

"We have to be there at ten! So you have to get up right now so we can leave at nine fifty" Katniss looked at the clock and read that it was already nine.

"Oh!" she gasped, jumping out of the bed, almost knocking the little girl off, before she jumped off and ran beside her mother to the bathroom.

"Mom…" said Prim as she watched her mother pull off her nightdress and jump into the shower.

"Yes, dear?" she said as she began to lather her hair.

"How come you and me and different parts between our legs than daddy and Marvel?" Katniss froze, and had to clap a hand over her mouth to keep from bursting out into laughter.

"Oh, uh" she said as she gained control "that's a very good question sweetie… maybe you'll learn in school this year"

"Aphrodite says that long thingy is called a penis. I'm glad I don't have one, I think the penises are ugly and weird" her daughter said disgustedly, Katniss chuckled again.

"Yeah hang on to that thought until you're at least twenty-five" she whispered to herself.

"What?"

"Nothing, just saying that I agree. They're super ugly and weird"

"Yes, it was very nice meeting you mister and- uh, mister Hampton" said Gale standing to shake hands with the two gentleman sitting in front of him.

Nine parents down, only one more for the day and I'm done. He thought as he watched the couple and their daughter Rhea leave the room.

He tidied his desk quickly, one more family, and it was the Mellarks- shit. He stopped his cleaning and groaned. He had been so excited and anxious to see Katniss he hadn't even considered Peeta. What if Katniss didn't even come and it were Peeta? Or if they both came, that'd be worse… Gale bit his lip in thought. He was going to have to suck it up and hope for the best.

Just as he sat back down, there was a knock at the classroom door.

"Mom! Hurry up, please!" the little girl called as she trot down the hallway, waving to random passerbys.

She was nervous. Oh god was she nervous. If Prim's teacher really was Gale then… well then what? She didn't know what would happen, what she would do, what HE would do. Her heart was beating a hundred beats per second, but she tried her best to remain calm and collect herself.

She caught up to Prim, stopped at a classroom door. "This is it! This is my class, mommy? Are you okay?" Katniss shook her head. This is it. Just calm down and everything will be fine. Now knock on the door… come on Katniss, be brave. Without answering her daughter, she raised her hand and she knocked, not answering her child's question.

They heard the squeak of a chair as someone stood inside the room. Katniss' heart exhilarated and her breathing quickened, the door opened and her whole world stopped.

There he was. He looked the exact same, same hair, same eyes, same body, same Gale. Every memory, every last one that she shared with Gale flashed before her. She felt the tears beginning to form behind her eyes, catching herself, she shut her mouth. Not consciously realizing it had been open like a gapping fish in the first place.

"Gale" it barely came out as a whisper, but she saw it on his face, he knew she knew who he was. And he definitely knew who she was.

Gale stood quickly and nearly ran to the door, he flung it open, and there she stood. Beautiful as ever, same hair, same eyes, same body, same Katniss. He watched her breath catch in her chest and her pupils dilate. Her mouth hung open in shock, and the two stood, staring at each other, frozen in their own world. Every memory Gale had of Katniss, even the memories of the long nights he thought of her during the hunger games and partial war, flashed before him. And he felt good, warm, he felt at home.

He looked around and was very pleased at what he saw. Nothing. And nothing meant no Peeta, all worries flew out the window and he sighed a breath of relief.

"Gale" it was just a whisper, but he caught it, he didn't know whether to smile or frown. He was happy to see her, but what was she feeling? What was going through her mind at this moment?

"Um…" he watched Katniss give a small jerk, coming back down to earth. He followed her eyes as she tore them away and saw the sound of confusion came from the little girl at her side.

"Hey Prim! How are you?" he said excitedly, squatting down to be eye-to-eye. He pretended he didn't notice Katniss pull the hand of the girl she held closer to her as he moved down.

"Uh, I'm good?" she said still confused "this is my mom" she said obviously, wiggling the hand she held.

"Ah" said Gale, coming back up and regaining eye contact with Katniss. "Right, hello. Nice to meet you Mrs. Mellark" he exaggerated her last name with his mouth, Katniss squinted at him.

"Yes, nice to meet you too Mr. Hawthorne" Gale nearly fainted at the sound of that perfect voice he'd known for so long. He restrained the large grin he felt aching for release.

"Please, come in" he motioned into the room, Katniss pushed past him, breaking eye contact again, and pulling her daughter close behind her. They sat at the front desk together in the two chairs, gale moved behind the desk and took his place.

"So" he said awkwardly.

"Primrose tells me you're a great teacher, I'm glad to hear that" Katniss said quickly. She felt she needed to say something, anything.

"Really? Well that's very kind of you Prim-"

"Primrose" Katniss interrupted him, he looked to her with raised eyebrows, and her face was stern and flat.

"That's very kind of you… Primrose. I'm glad to hear it too"

"Um, yeah, how come you and my mommy are being weird?" she asked knitting her eyebrows together and looking up at the two adults.

"We're not being weird, no everything is fine" assured Katniss with a grin "isn't it, Mister Hawthorne?" she asked, smiling tightly to Gale.

"Yeah, peachy" he said almost sarcastically and Katniss Glared.

"Hey, Prim- rose" he added on awkwardly, still annoyed with how Katniss wasn't pleased with his calling her Prim. "I think that Aphrodite and Rocky are at their cubbies outside, why don't you go see them and I can chat with your mom?" Katniss widened her eyes.

"Oh, Prim I don't think-"

"OKAY!" Her daughter called, jumping out of her seat and bolting out the door, which slammed shut, hard behind her, cutting off Katniss.

Katniss looked at the desk, then her shoes, and then longingly at the door. Get me out of here… please. She looked everywhere, but at Gale.

Gale cleared his throat to gain her attention; with a deep breath she turned her eyes towards him. He offered her a kind smile.

"Hey Catnip" he said sweetly.

"You're a teacher," she said obviously not wanting to get into anything personal. Gale straightened his back, catching on.

"Yes, I am now"

"You teach my daughter," she said, more stating her thoughts rather than the obvious as it seemed.

"Yours and Peeta's daughter" he corrected her, he hadn't really meant to say that, or for it to sound so snarky. Katniss stiffened.

"Yes. Mine and Peeta's daughter"

"She's a great kid you know," he said smiling.

"What are you doing here Gale" she said softly, annoyed with hearing the pain in her voice and catching him off guard. Gale felt a pang in his heart, too hard to ignore.

"I needed a little adventure"

"Oh, 2 wasn't enough adventure for you? Maybe if you made some more bombs-"

"Katniss" he cut her off suddenly. "I'm not happy about what happened, at all. What it did to you, to everyone. You know I didn't really want to hurt anyone"

"But you did!" she tried not to scream at him, and they both noticed the cracking in her voice, on the verge of tears.

"Please don't cry," he whispered, she could see the pain in his eyes and it angered her. He wasn't allowed to be sad; he was causing her so much pain, just like before.

"Why are you here?" she repeated "really, why? You just got up one morning and decided you wanted to come here and fuck with my life"

"Ouch?"

"It's not fair," she said shaking her head and crossing her arms over her chest.

"What's not fair?" he asked gently.

"This! You! Just, everything, Gale. You can't show up out of nowhere and after all those years, we haven't talked in twelve years. Twelve Gale! Does that mean nothing to you?" **see a/n**

"You hated me"

"Don't be so quick to put the d at the end of hated" Katniss said, Gale's heart dropped. He couldn't believe she said that and it hurt, it hurt a lot actually. He couldn't find his voice, catnip had his tongue.

"I have to go," she said suddenly, standing quickly and swiping at her eyes. Don't let him see you cry, idiot.

"Katniss!" he called after her, standing just as she reached the door and stormed down the hall.

"Come on, Prim" he heard a cracking voice call down the hall.

Followed by a sad and confused "mommy?"

He didn't run after her. There wasn't a point. That hadn't gone at all as expected, he thought she would be happy to see him… he thought things would be okay and she could find it in her to forgive him. But she hates him, just like she said, and now he was depressed.

She didn't know why she said that. Why did she say that? She knew she didn't hate him, no she definitely did NOT hate him, but it just came out. She was frustrated and confused about him being there, well and alive where she lived, taught her daughter and most likely living in the neighbourhood.

She didn't like the memories and the thoughts that awoke when she saw him. It pained her to know how sorry he was and she could truly sense how desperately he wanted her forgiveness. She couldn't give it to him, out of her own selfish fearful reasons and she hated herself for that. Peeta would be asking about the interview, she would have to lie to him to keep him from doing something or trying to switch Prim's schools. Wouldn't she like that though? If Prim switched schools, there would be no reason to ever see him again, but something inside of her kept her mouth shut even just at the thought, so she would lie to Peeta and say it all went well and nothing out of the ordinary to report.

there it is! the meeting, you were all curious about it and waiting patiently (somewhat ;P) and now there it is, not the happy lovely meeting everybody would hope for, but that's life. New chapter won't take to long hopefully, please review and let me know how i'm doing!