"Gale?" I questioned in disbelief. He had seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth after the revolution. I hadn't seen him in years. I lowered my bow and slowly walked toward him.
"Hi Katniss" he said gently. I left about four feet of space between us and just looked at him. He shrugged at me and smiled. I looked into his grey eyes and was home.
"Oh Gale!" I sighed and hugged him fiercely. His arms encased me just as they used to. I stepped back and observed him. He looked, older, he looked tired, he almost looked like Haymitch, without the drunk part. I glanced back at Peeta who was now holding Rue normally. His face was a mask and I knew he must be feeling a little strange about this.
"Peeta, come here!" I called. I motioned for him to come over. He hugged Rue closer to him and walked over, stopping, and standing stiffly beside me. Gale looked over his shoulder to the woman in the shadows. Another small person had poked its head out from behind her.
"I'll be right back Katniss" Gale said, walking to the shadows. I looked at Peeta, who was staring straight a head.
"Peeta?" I whispered.
"Yes dear?" he sighed. I took his hand and squeezed it. He pouted and huffed.
"Peeta, I love you, and I chose you, remember?"
"Yes, you won't leave me for him, real or not real?" he asked, his eyes closed, his grip on Rue tight.
"Real, I would never leave, no matter what happens I am never leaving you" I told him, and kissed him on the cheek. He smiled and sighed.
"Thank you" I just squeezed his hand again as Gale led the woman out of the shadows. My jaw dropped. The woman stepped into the light and I took in her red hair, pale skin, and dark green eyes. It was the Avox girl. And holding her hand was a small boy with olive toned skin, dark red hair, and grey eyes. In her other arm was a bundle, and Gale held another. One head of black hair poked out of one, while another head of dark red hair poked out of the other. I looked in disbelief between her and Gale.
"Katniss this is my wife, Lavinia, I'm sure you remember her"
"Um yes, how are you Lavinia?" I asked, still shocked. She signed the word okay, mouthed it, and nodded. She looked sick, as did the little boy. He looked up at us, obviously frightened. I took Rue from Peeta and knelt down to look at him. Rue's hair hid her face like a curtain, but slowly she emerged to look at the boy.
"Hello there" I said to him. His lip trembled and he clutched at his mother's hand.
"His name is Darius, he is three years old" Gale said. Rue now leaned forward, her blue eyes sparkling.
" That is our daughter Rue" Peeta told Gale.
"She's beautiful"
"Thank you"
Rue looked at me and back to Darius.
"I play?" she asked. I looked to Gale and he nodded.
"Darius, would you like to play with Rue?" I asked him. He looked nervous, Rue waved at him, then he smiled a little a waved back. I nodded to Rue and set her down on the grass. She patted the grass next to her and Darius moved to sit next to her. We walked a few feet away from the children and began to talk.
"Gale, are you okay? What are you doing here?" I asked him.
"Well…no, I'm not alright. We were in District 13 and there is a rag tag group of loyalists to the Capitol left. They destroyed half the District. It was all we could to escape. But one of them recognized me and has been following us! Lavinia just gave birth five days ago to our twin daughters, the one I'm holding is Emmy, she has Elice, and we don't know what to do…" Gale said.
"Are they still following you?" Peeta asked
"Yes, we've been trying to out run them, but we can't shake them! Is there anyway you could help us?" Gale pleads. I looked toward the children, then to the edge of the meadow, scanning for any disturbance. The men kept talking, I clenched the bow in my hand, ready to shoot at a moments notice.
"You can stay in our house tonight, tomorrow we will take you to the trains and get you to District 4 where Annie can hide you…"I heard Peeta say. Suddenly I heard a twig snap and saw a movement out of the corner of my eye.
"PEETA! GET RUE!" I yelled, notching an arrow and shooting it into the trees. I heard a yell, then a thump. Peeta reacted fast and scooped Rue and Darius into his arms. Gale gave Emmy to Lavinia and she ran to the safe side of the meadow with Peeta. Gale and I stood back to back, waiting for the attackers to come forth. Between the two of us, there was almost no way these people would make it out alive. It was quiet for a moment then grenades shot out of the forest and hit the ground. Gale and I shot a rain of arrows into the shadows and bolted. Gale dodged all of the grenades and even the knives that were thrown at us. I had more trouble. I barely side-stepped a grenade and got caught by some rocks that were blown every which way from the explosion. My right arm was bleeding and one piece of rock hit the corner of my eye so my vision was slightly impaired. I shot an arrow behind me and heard a cry of pain, and a yell of outrage. I put on an extra spurt of speed, then I heard something whiz past my head, or so I thought. It was a knife, and it sliced into the side of my head. I stumbled and my foot hit a grenade thrown seconds before. I barely had time to process what was happening before it exploded.
"KATNISS!" I heard Gale yell. We had been only feet from the forest where we could conceal ourselves. The explosion sent the metal flying everywhere. I ripped into my body, before it could it I desperately curled into a ball to protect my stomach. My baby I thought. Then I blacked out, feeling nothing but burning pain everywhere.
