Hello to all my lovely readers. This chapter features a time jump...almost 5 years into the future. Didn't want to spent a lot of time on the Hawthornes establishing themselves in the woods...eager to get to the Galeniss ;)

Chapter 4

(About 5 years later)

Sometimes it hard to believe that we are still surviving out here in total freedom. I'm happy to say that my family is thriving. No longer are my younger siblings skin and bones. They actually look healthy and they are happy too. Rory and Vick have really taken to hunting and I find that I'm no longer the sole person to feed our family. Rory's bow skills are equal to Katniss' in my opinion and Vick's snare skills surpass my own. Even Posy helps to gather different berries that grow wild in the meadow.

We have a nice house, one that I've put a lot of work into. When we first came to the woods, we had to stay in the tent while I built our house. It was difficult work but at least it beat working in a dark mine. The house started small, with just a kitchen area and a living area. As time progressed I added one room here and there until there was enough for each of us to have our own room.

An interesting thing about the section of woods I have chosen is that we have a few neighbors dispersed throughout. They are people that also longed for freedom and decided to escape, some coming from far away districts. They all have their own craft and I've traded with them when I needed something.

Despite everything, there is still a piece of me that fills empty, a part of me that will never be whole. I miss her more than I ever thought I could. Today is especially hard. It is her birthday. As I sit by the stream with my legs soaking in the water, I think about what we might be doing if I had remained in District 12. We'd be in the clearing by now, eating a breakfast of bakery rolls and blackberries. I always made sure I had enough squirrels on that day to get a good trade from the baker. We'd then head down to the lake for some swimming, something she always enjoyed. I kick up some water from the stream that I currently am wading in, finding it insufficient. I want to be with her, my body submerged in the cool standing water as we race across the lake. I want to make her one of those stupid dirt cakes I always used to make her and stick a candle in it for her to make a wish. I want to tell her I love her and kiss her. All of that is impossible. She's hundreds of miles away.

As I return to the bank, I retrieve my shoes and slip them on my feet before heading home. When I enter my house, it appears empty. I sit down at the table and let my mind wander as I think about what her life is like now. She has to be happy. She has everything she could ever need. Her family has a nice, big house in Victor's Village, Prim is safe, and she no longer hunts because she has to. It can now be more enjoyable for her. I then wonder if she's still with Peeta Mellark. She probably still is. They have a unique bond from surviving the Hunger Games together. That and the fact that everyone loves that guy. Why wouldn't she love him too? I place my head in my hands and take a few calming breaths and then rub my eyes. When I come back to reality, I see my mother standing in the doorway from the kitchen, staring at me.

"What's wrong?" she asks, joining me at the table.

"I miss her." I tell her. There is no need to mention her name. My mother understands exactly whom I am talking about.

"It has been a while."

"Almost five years." I reply.

"You could visit her."

"Mom, I'm dead. There's no way I could show my face there. I'd be arrested."

"Visit her in the woods. I'm sure she still goes there."

"The chances of her being there the same time as me are pretty slim, don't you think?"

"Go spend a few days there. You can stay at the house by the lake."

"What about you guys?"

"We'll be fine." she reassures me.

"I'll think about it." I say giving her a hug before retreating to my room. I close the door behind me and lay down on my bed. I think about my mother's suggestion to return to the woods outside of District 12. It wouldn't be too difficult and I could make good time since I will be traveling by myself. I could get there in about 2 days. It doesn't take me long to decide that seeing her is worth the journey. Even if our paths don't cross, it will be nice to visit the woods where I learned about whom I really was, where I was free to truly be myself.

I inform my mother about my decision after dinner and she approves of my going. I tell her that I'm leaving first thing in the morning. She says that she'll explain to the kids that I was venturing into the woods, not giving details about where I am going. This would prevent my siblings from trying to follow me, something I wouldn't be surprise of them doing.

That night, after the kids fall asleep, I sort through the things I'll need and pack them into my backpack. I turn in and get the much-needed sleep I'll need for the day ahead of me. I position myself towards the window in my room so the early sunlight will awaken me before allowing myself to doze off.

The sunlight filters through the trees onto my face, indicating it is time to rise. I'm fortunate that my mother is the only person awake when I emerge from my room. Upon seeing the empty living area, I grab my bags and quickly take them outside. I then return to say goodbye to my mother. She hugs me tightly and wishes me luck. Then, I am on my way.

I make my way through the forest, using the sun's position in the sky to guide me back towards District 12. As I stride through the woods, I think about what I will say to her if I do in fact see Katniss. I run hypothetical conversations through my head, analyzing the different reactions she could have from discovering that I'm still on this earth. I know she'll be happy about me finally escaping from District 12. She's listened my rants long enough to know I could never been happy if I stayed there. There is the possibility that she could be mad for me not letting her know about my master plan. I'm sure she'll quickly forgive me once she sees that I'm not really dead.

I walk until sunset, taking breaks along the way. I set up my tent and climb inside, letting my mind wander until I fall asleep. When I wake, I am met with less than cooperative weather conditions. I peek outside my tent to find a steady rain falling. I don't let this hinder my journey. After packing my tent, I carry on, trudging through the dampened soil. Large droplets of rain collect on the leaves above me before crashing onto my body, soaking every inch of me. I don't give up. I need to reach her. I alternate between running and walking, hoping this will lead me to my destination sooner. It doesn't seem like the rain has any intention of stopping for the day.

I manage to reach the lake house by early evening and the first thing I do is get a fire started. The temperature has dropped and my drenched body has started to shiver. After a flame sparks, I strip my clothes, wringing them out by the doorway and hanging them to dry. I sit on the ground placing my body as close to the fire as I can get without burning myself. The warmth of the blaze hits my skin drying the beads of water that have collected on the surface. When the water has wicked away, I change into my spare set of clothing, which has remained dry inside my pack. I collapse on the mattress, exhausted from the day. I think I covered even more ground than yesterday. As tired as my body feels, I know it was worth it. I could see her tomorrow and hold her in my arms, something I have been longing to do for ages. I could find out about her life and see if I could be a part of hers, maybe even taking her with me. A smile spreads to my face. I could take her away from District 12 and the Hunger Games. Maybe she'd even let herself fall in love with me and we could live the life I've always imagined. Tomorrow everything could change.

Next chapter will have the reunion of Gale and Katniss. Any predictions about what will happen?

Expect another update sometime this week since this chapter was short.

*Also, started another story called Dotted Lines. Check it out and let me know what you think. Chapter 1 is up and Chapter 2 will be up today or tomorrow.